Joy That Stays

“Do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” – Nehemiah 8:10

A lot of people spend their lives chasing happiness, thinking that’s what joy really is. But joy is something far deeper. Happiness rises and falls based on your circumstances. It’s tied to how things are going, how people treat you, and how well life seems to be working out.

But joy doesn’t behave like that. Joy is steady when everything else is shaking. Joy is a kind of anchor. You don’t need perfect conditions for it to show up. In fact, some of the most joy-filled people are the ones who have walked through the hardest things.

That’s because real joy isn’t based on what’s happening around you. It’s rooted in who God is and what He’s doing in you. Joy says, “Even if life doesn’t make sense right now, I still know God is good. I still know He’s with me. I still know He has a plan.”

Joy does not mean you never feel sadness or pain. It means those feelings don’t have the final say. It means you can walk through sorrow and still carry peace. You can feel loss and still trust that God is working.

If your emotions have been running wild lately and you feel like your life is on a rollercoaster, it might be because you've been trying to build your joy on things that change. Your job, your bank account, your relationships, even your own feelings. None of those were ever meant to be your foundation.

The joy of the Lord is your strength. That means your strength isn’t in the perfect outcome or the perfect day. Your strength is in knowing you belong to a faithful God who isn’t going anywhere.

So stop waiting for everything to be just right to feel grounded. Start today. Right where you are. Even in the mess. Joy is not found in the absence of trouble, but in the presence of God. And He’s with you right now.