I’m sure you’ve heard born-again Christians say they have Jesus in their heart. Any person who asks God for forgiveness after repentance should rejoice in the new life they have chosen. The Bible says that when that decision is made, the old person is dead, and you become a new creature in Christ. Jesus is invited into your heart, and He is the reason for the greatest miracle called salvation. Nehemiah, chapter 8, verse 10, says the joy of the Lord is your strength.

Without joy, a Christian is a

weak witness, if a witness at all. I heard a preacher say if the joy of the Lord is our strength, why do so many Christians walk around like they have just sucked a lemon? He closed his sermon with this: “If you confess Jesus in your heart, some of you should notify your face. Let your light shine so people will see that you have joy.”

A couple of years ago, I walked into a restaurant and approached a man and woman at a table. I introduced myself and noticed that the man, who worked at a local industry, had a shirt with the name “Michael.” I called him Mike, and he responded and was surprised that I knew his name. “How did you know my name?” he asked. I answered, “It was easy. You have it on your shirt.”

The woman with Mike laughed. “What is your name?” I asked. “Joy,” she answered. “How do you spell Joy?” I asked. “J-O-Y,” she replied. I continued, “Do you know what Joy stands for?” I immediately said that Joy stands for Jesus first, other people second and you third. She smiled and said, “I never heard that before.”

My departing comments were, “If you live that out, you’ll have a successful life which will encourage others, because the joy of the Lord is our strength.”

If you have any questions or comments, please write to Get High on Life, P.O. Drawer U, Reserve, LA 70084, call 985-652-8477, or email hkeller@comcast.net.