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  THE JOY OF THE LORD
  by Hudson Taylor
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Summary: The joy of the Lord is our strength, a constant and unchanging
source of power that comes from His joy in ransoming us, dwelling within
us, and possessing us.

Topics: "Christian Joy", "Spiritual Strength"
Scripture References: Nehemiah 8:10, Psalm 16:11, Zephaniah 3:17, John 15:11, Hebrews 12:2

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DESCRIPTION
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James Hudson Taylor delves into the concept of 'the joy of the LORD is
your strength' from Nehemiah 8:10, exploring the different dimensions of
this joy. He highlights that the joy of the Lord can be found in His
existence, in His lordship over our lives, in the joy He imparts to us
through His Spirit, and in His own joy that becomes our strength. Taylor
emphasizes that the unchanging joy of the Lord, manifested in His
redemption of His people, His presence within us, and His delight in us,
is what truly strengthens us.

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CONTENT
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"...the joy of the LORD is your strength" (Neh. 8:10).

What is the joy of the Lord? Is it joy that there is such a Lord? For we
cannot realize His existence without joy. Or, is it joy that He is our
Lord? For possession is a fruitful source of joy Or, again, is it joy
that He has imparted to us, and shed abroad in our hearts by His Spirit?
Or, lastly, is it His own joy which is our strength? We feel no doubt
that, while all these sources of joy are ours, it is to the last of them
that this passage specifically refers.

John 15:11 refers to our Saviour's joy in fruit-bearing through His
branches. It was His will that His joy might remain in them; and that
consequently their joy might be full. Here we see the joy of the Lord
distinguished from the joy of His people.

In Hebrews 12:2, we have the joy of the Lord in the redemption of His
people-joy to despise the shame and endure the cross. It was strength
for self-sacrifice.

In Zephaniah 3:17, we have the joy of the Lord in the possession of His
purchased inheritance. Oh, how wonderful is this joy! "He will rejoice
over thee with joy, He will rest in His love, He will joy over thee with
singing."

It is the consciousness of the threefold joy of the Lord--His joy in
ransoming us--His joy in dwelling within us as our Saviour and Power for
fruitbearing--and His joy in possessing us, as His Bride and His
delight; it is the consciousness of this joy which is our real strength.
Our joy in Him may be a fluctuating thing: His joy in us knows no
change.

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Source: https://sermonindex.net/speakers/hudson-taylor/the-joy-of-the-lord/
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