Nehemiah 8:10
Even in times of despair, heartbreak and frustration you have a reason to celebrate… Whenever you feel down, your pick-me-up can be found in knowing that “the joy of the Lord is your strength…” When you go through things don’t fret because your weakness will open the door for God to display His strength. When you are faced with a daunting task, don’t give room to the debilitating fear that lurks because the joy of the Lord is your strength… We all have fallen short or missed the mark which was the case at the time of this word being recorded in the book of Nehemiah. You can take courage and find peace today in knowing that you will have provisions, protection and prosperity through the good and perfect gifts which only come from above. Even though we don’t like to make mistakes or mess up from time to time, in reading this passage we know that we as well as the people of that particular time should be overjoyed because God’s word has convicted them and paved the way to repentance… Today we mourn for Jesus, but we are overjoyed at the offering He poured out on Calvary knowing and believing that Salvation was made possible by His death and believing that He now sits at the right hand of the father with all power in His hand… Now is the time for us to build upon that foundation. We understand that God has paid the penalty of sin on our behalf; we understand that God has delivered us from captivity, now we must put our faith into action by living a life that pleases the Lord… Nehemiah writes today of the desire of the Lord for those who acknowledge Him… This passage of scriptures takes place at a point and time when the children of God are coming back together after being scattered and oppressed. The wall of Jerusalem had been destroyed previously and they have just begun to rebuild their respective lives. Ezra the priest has located the scroll of the Lord and in this chapter has read the word of God to the people. At hearing the word of God, the people begin to mourn for all the wrong they had down and felt the convictions of their actions. Nehemiah, Ezra and the Levites are teaching the people of God that they need to listen to the word and be happy because God has given them a chance to live and turn over a new leaf. I believe that we to have felt the conviction of the word of God knowing that our sins placed Jesus on the cross. We mourn daily, knowing that we were just as guilty as Judas because we too have betrayed the Lord. Nehemiah is saying today that God loves your convictions, but desires for you to turn to Him… Nehemiah tells the people that they are to celebrate; they are to give thanks to God because the word of the Lord has been found and instilled in their hearts. We too should be thankful that while we were lost, God didn’t close the door, while we were concerned about our own agendas, God was still concerned about us. Nehemiah says, “Neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the Lord is your strength…” Remember when Jesus was crucified, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and didn’t find His body, she began to mourn and Jesus approached her and asked her why she was crying… Sure, we have fallen short, we have messed up, we have strayed away but now that we are back with the father, now that we are in lock-step with the Lord, now that the lost sheep has been found, we should find joy in the strength of the Lord. Let people talk about your past while you allow God to lead you to your future. Sure we have been down, but now we are up. Sure, we were lost, but now we are found. Sure, our fate was sealed, but God has wiped the slate clean… Like Nehemiah said to the Israelites, “…go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet… neither be ye sorry, for the joy of the Lord is your strength…” We have a whole lot to be thankful for, our blessings outweigh our trials…. Praise be to God, for your battle has already been won…
ALL FOR HIS GLORY!
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