February and I Are Already Talking About Strength? LOL
Living in the Joy That Powers You
Beloved Friend,
We’re just in the second month of the year, and I’m already talking about strength to carry on. LOL. But no jokes, last week showed me again that some scriptures don’t fully make sense until you actually live them. You can recite them daily, quote them in prayer, even put them in your Instagram bio, but until you encounter the life of God in them, they’re just words.
I’ve known “The joy of the Lord is my strength” (Nehemiah 8:10) for the longest time. But last week, I lived it.
The week was overwhelming: mentally, physically, and spiritually. My morning prayer walks? Heavy. Literally. It felt like my legs were resisting me. You know that thing where the moment you start pressing deeper into God, it’s like the enemy suddenly starts fighting harder? Yeah, that. Some mornings, I woke up feeling off. Like my soul was just downcast (Psalm 42:5). One of those days, I started praying for the oil of gladness (Isaiah 61:3), yet my mind still felt drained. And honestly? Mental exhaustion is worse than physical exhaustion. You can push through tiredness, but when your mind is tired? Even simple things feel like mountains.
Then something happened. I had a class after a long workday, and I was exhausted. But immediately I joined, we began to chant Hallelujah. No instruments, no rush, just over 300 voices lifted in one sound. And before we even started worshipping deeply, I felt something shift. Joy started welling up inside me, unprovoked. No explanation. Suddenly, I wasn’t tired anymore. My mind was clear. My body was strengthened.
That moment made me understand why Scripture says, “In His presence, there is fullness of joy” (Psalm 16:11). Not a fraction. Not a glimpse. Fullness.
Joy is different from happiness. Happiness is circumstantial. It depends on what’s happening around you. But joy? Joy is supernatural. It’s not something you can force; it’s something God gives. That’s why “Those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength” (Isaiah 40:31). Because when your joy comes from God, your strength can’t run out.
And strength? It’s not just for life’s tough seasons. It’s needed for everything. Even in spiritual things, energy is required. Prayer takes strength (Luke 22:43&44). Fasting takes strength (Matthew 4:2). Obedience takes strength (Genesis 22:3). Have you ever wondered why throughout scripture, strength is constantly prayed for? “Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way” (Isaiah 35:3). “Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might” (Ephesians 6:10). Because nothing meaningful can be sustained without it.
Going forth into the year, living off momentary happiness won’t sustain you. When challenges come, and they will; you’ll need more than fleeting excitement. It’s better to settle this early in the year: joy is what powers you. The kind that only comes from God.
And this is why “Do not forsake the gathering of the brethren” (Hebrews 10:25) is so important. The enemy loves isolation, because when you’re alone in your struggles, everything feels bigger than it really is. Not to say we should only ride on corporate anointing, but sometimes, just being in the right atmosphere can be the push you need.
So, my dear friend, as we step into this new month, my prayer for you is simple: May your joy never run dry. May you be strengthened in your mind and body. And may you experience the life of God in every scripture you’ve ever recited.
Welcome to February. We go again.
With thoughts of kindness,
ABBA’s Shofar