Growing in Spirit and Truth

Neh. 8:10 We have all heard this scripture in times of weakness. We tell ourselves or someone else will tell us, "the joy of the Lord is your strength." Well, we don't have any joy at that moment and we definitely don't feel strong. So, thinking we aren't supposed to be like this, we try to have joy and be strong. Sometimes one word can change the meaning of a verse. For the first time, I noticed the word "of". It's the joy of the Lord, not the joy of Connie. I think, I have always thought of it as my joy in the Lord. Joy in the Lord is something I feel. Everything of God is Truth..it is substance..not a feeling. Just as Hebrews 11:1 says, "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." God has given us His substance to replace our feelings. Feelings are always conditional..God's Truth is unconditional. It's His Joy that gives me strength. My joy only brings feelings. His joy never fails......

Hello God..... I need to ask You something. Why is so hard for us here on earth? Jesus went through much more than we can ever imagine and never lost His focus. We can be moving along real good and then something happens and immediately our focus goes straight to what ever that something is. God, You know, my brother is going to say the "f" word [flesh]. If flesh is sooo bad why did You put us in it to start with? God, I just want to live in Your Word not my flesh. God, You know how bad things are...do You like being given the credit of being in control? If I were You, I wouldn't want anyone to think I was in control of this mess but then I'm not You. I only see the mess, You see the finished work. Psalm 91 says that 1000 will fall at my side and 10,000 at my right hand but no evil will come near my dwelling. My dwelling is in Your secret place and I am abiding under Your shadow. I don't have to fear anything. Ok, if I really believe that, why did I panic ...