During one of our Church Without Walls services, I asked the callers to say the word “Joy.”  In Nehemiah 8:10, we find that “the joy of the Lord is our strength.”  We can have joy even in the midst of life’s struggles. The world didn’t give it to us, and the world can’t take it away. When all the world is falling apart, the believers can still have joy. We serve a God who hears and answers prayer. So even while we are waiting on Him to answer our prayers, we have an inward joy that keeps us going. In Psalm 86:4, we find these words:

“Rejoice the soul of thy servant: for unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.“

The psalmist is aware of the fact that the Lord is good, ready to forgive, and plenteous in mercy. He knows where to go in the time of trouble, for in Psalms 86:7 he says, “In the day of my trouble I will call upon thee: for thou wilt answer me.”  His heart is full of thanksgiving. He has an unbelievable joy deep down in his soul. I pray that our joy is so deep within that nothing will stop us from praising the Lord. May the joy that God has given keep us in perfect peace.