"Then he said to them, “Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” -Nehemiah 8:10 NKJV

On October 3, 2019, during the Seattle Seahawks vs. St. Louis Rams game, Rams kicker, Greg Zuerlein, missed the potential game-winning field goal in the fourth quarter. The Seahawks held on for the victory, 30-29. After the missed kick, 68-year-old Seahawks head coach, Pete Carroll, ran swiftly along the sideline like a 20-year-old because of the win.

I love the energy and joy that Coach Carroll possesses during football games. You can tell that he typically doesn’t allow things to bring him down. He also does a great job of encouraging his players while holding them accountable so that they can reach their full potential.

As Christians, we will suffer losses, but God promises that He will never leave us. All we have to do is go to Him in prayer and trust that He will help us to endure and overcome. We must praise God in advance for what He will do in our lives. We must also seek Him in prayer. When we do, we will experience the joy that only God gives. When we experience God’s joy in our lives, we will also receive His strength to endure and overcome any situation.

No matter what we face, we know that God has a plan for our lives. We can be confident that God can give us the joy that we need if we go to Him, seek Him first, and trust Him. The joy of The Lord is our strength.

Learn to praise God in advance.

Psalm 16:11

Psalm 100

Nehemiah 8:10

Philippians 4:6-7

1 Thessalonians 5:16