The Joy of the Lord Is My Strength

“Come, let’s meet together in the… Ono Valley.” But they were planning to harm me. So I sent messengers… saying, “I am doing a great work and cannot come down. Why should the work cease while I leave it and go down to you (Neh. 6:2-3)?

Nehemiah, a cupbearer for the king in the palace in Shushan had an assignment from the Lord. The walls around Jerusalem that once protected the city were in ruins. God sent him to rebuild those walls. Nehemiah pressed through much sorrow and tribulation to obey. He declared the “joy of the Lord is my strength” and refused the devil’s invitation to the Valley of Ono. Whatever the Lord calls you to do expect to swim against the flow of this world. You will discover enemies you never knew existed, and among them, you will find yourself. What defeats us is never what is outside of us but what lies within us.

Have you walked through the Valley of Ono lately? Like Nehemiah, we too have a God-given call and many assignments to complete on earth for His glory. As you take hold of this truth life will become an adventure. Doors of opportunities will open, but at the same time, there will be many adversaries to stop the good work of God that is in you. When you are a light in your workplace, in your community, or the midst of a tough situation, God is at work in you. It’s all a part of a bigger plan because the God you think you know is much bigger than you think.

Do not give up your confident trust in the Lord. If you do, you will lose a great reward. Stay in there and fight, fight, fight. Persevere in doing His will, and everything God promises you will come to pass. God’s not going to do it for you, but He will do it through you. Keep your confidence in Him because your life depends on it.