The Joy of The Lord is My Strength

The joy of the Lord is your strength Nehemiah 8:10

October 20

Nehemiah 8:6-10 NASB

Then Ezra blessed the LORD the great God. And all the people answered, “Amen, Amen!” while lifting up their hands; then they bowed low and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground. [7] Also Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, the Levites, explained the law to the people while the people remained in their place. [8] They read from the book, from the law of God, translating to give the sense so that they understood the reading. [9] Then Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, “This day is holy to the LORD your God; do not mourn or weep.” For all the people were weeping when they heard the words of the law. [10] Then he said to them, “Go, eat of the fat, drink of the sweet, and send portions to him who has nothing prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”

Working with only one hand means that I work really slow. There is a lot I can't do because one arm is in a sling. I can't carry boxes or anything else that's too big, or too heavy. So today as I was trying to get things organized and set up in the basement kitchen I listened to my Bible. I listened all day as I worked and cleaned and it was wonderful. There was a lot I couldn't do. And lots I had to ask for help. My son's brought some things down that needed to come down the stairs. But all day, I was washed in His Word. Our purpose in life is to truly know God. To have a real and sweet relationship. So today when I heard the scripture in Nehemiah it just reminded me how wonderful our God is. The people had been listening to the law and all the commands explained. They had been weeping in repentance. They clearly saw their sin. They understood how very far they had walked away from God. It is in that moment they are told to celebrate, stop weeping and rejoice for the joy of the Lord is our strength.

God doesn't want us to weep. He just wants our joy to be in him. Today my joy was in Him.