The Joy of the Lord

“He will yet fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouts of joy”.-Job 8:21 Luke and I were spoken over with this verse back in November 2009. Earlier in that year, we experience our second miscarriage (May 30th). I remember quite vividly that after we receive these words, I was a little frustrated with God. Even though, I had this unspeakable peace about it. I was thinking: “I am still mourning over our miscarriage and the Lord said he was going to fill my mouth with joy”? What joy? I was heartbroken and upset that the Lord took away our second child as well as our first from us. How is God going to fill my mouth with laughter and my lips with joy? I didn’t understand it. But, the Lord is GOOD. Four years later, I went to a women’s conference this past month and Carol Ball (the speaker) felt lead by the Lord to speak about having the Joy of the Lord her first night there. I clung on to what she was about to say. This is what Carol said: How to get the Joy of the Lord 1. Crying out to God. Psalms 40:1-3 said (me paraphrasing) that He will turn his hears to your cries and will lift you up. 2. Retreat with the Lord and He will bring you Hope. Read his Word. Isaiah 40:28-31 3. He will set your feet on solid ground. Something to hold on too (Scripture/the Word) Psalm 27:5 4. Praise Him for being your strength. Neh 8:10 After she gave us these guidelines, I remember thinking yes..Finally! I don’t have to feel so beat up because I didn’t think the Lord heard me or even cared that I was hurting so much. I remember crying out to the Lord a lot after our miscarriages. It’s so nice to know that God hears me and he lifts me up. I felt relieved to know that he will renew my strength and give me such hope. Isaiah 40:31 has been one of my many promises from God to hold on it. I prayed that the Lord will give me the Joy of the Lord as my strength. So He did. Now, my worship has been more intimate. I have this unspeakable joy that just radiance from me when I worship with my follow believers. I can’t explain it fully, but I am truly grateful for this new hope and joy..