A really important question comes in from a listener named Nicholas, who went to the

Aspastor John homepage and emailed us this question, Hi Pastor John.

In Hebrews 122 and Nehemi 810, what is meant by the phrase the joy of the Lord?

How can we find this joy and how can we apply this joy to our lives?

This is one of the most important questions that anyone can ask because everyone wants

to be happy and never lose their happiness in the miseries of hell and therefore how

to find joy and experience it to the fool is what everybody cares about and ought to care

about and if it's possible that we could actually share in the joy of God Almighty nothing

could be greater and nothing would be more stable and lasting so this is important.

The reference to the joy of the Lord in Nehemi 8 means at least the joy that the Lord

himself gives.

Go your way, eat the fat, drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing

ready for this day is holy to the Lord, do not be grieved for the joy of the Lord is

your strength and the joy referred to in Hebrews 12 is clearly the very joy that Jesus

himself has today in heaven which sustained him through suffering, says looking to Jesus,

the founder and perfector of our faith who for the joy that was set before him endured

across despising the shame and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

Now what I assume that Nicholas is asking is something like this, what is the fullest

deepest, most lasting kind of joy that a human being can have from God and how can I get

it?

How can I find it?

Now those texts, those two that he mentioned are pointers for sure but I'm going to go

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