FROM: Banbury, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom
ABOUT ME: Living the highs and lows of life in the adventurous pursuit of God Himself and of who I'm meant to be as the Bride of Christ.
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Wednesday, June 18, 2008,8:45 p.m.
JOYOUS STRENGTH
I found a bit of fresh revelation in Nehemiah 8:10 this week.
This is the verse that talks about the joy of the Lord being our strength. I've read this passage countless times. I've had other moments of revelation in it. But this week, as I was both recognizing and lamenting my own wayward, sinful heart, I found new meaning in the words.
The people were weeping at the recitation of the Law of God - long since lost to them as a nation in captivity. I have read this passage before and felt what the weight of the words being read must have been - a heart of repentance in the knowledge of laws broken, a heart of sorrow in the knowledge of the futility of attempting to keep all the laws and bring pleasure to God - all of these would have made me weep also. The people were told not to mourn or weep, since that was a day sacred to the Lord. They were told instead to celebrate and that the joy of the Lord was their strength.
I think I've always focused on the people being told not to mourn or weep, even as they repented. This week I was struck by the fact that a heart of repentance is exactly what the Lord was seeking. Just like the prodigal son, the heart that takes a small step back towards the Father is the heart that does bring pleasure to God, and the heart that He runs to envelop in love and forgiveness. That heart - God's heart - is a heart full of joy. God's heart is full of joy at seeing His sons and daughters take a step back towards Him and have such a deep desire to be in relationship with Him that they weep and mourn for their own brokenness and their sinful natures.
But the fact that the Lord is joyous is strength for us. Strength to know that we will not be destroyed in our wickedness and ignorance. Strength to know that God is not angry - the heart of true repentance melts His anger and opens the door to restoration. The Lord's joy is strength for us to know that He is for us, and not against us.
It can certainly bring us strength.
Ezra opened the book. All the people could see him because he was standing above them; and as he opened it, the people all stood up. Ezra praised the Lord, the great God; and all the people lifted their hands and responded, "Amen! Amen!" Then they bowed down and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground. The Levites—Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan and Pelaiah—instructed the people in the Law while the people were standing there. They read from the Book of the Law of God, making it clear and giving the meaning so that the people could understand what was being read. Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who were instructing the people said to them all, "This day is sacred to the Lord your God. Do not mourn or weep." For all the people had been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law. Nehemiah said, "Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is sacred to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength." The Levites calmed all the people, saying, "Be still, for this is a sacred day. Do not grieve." Then all the people went away to eat and drink, to send portions of food and to celebrate with great joy, because they now understood the words that had been made known to them. (Nehemiah 8:5-12)
This is the verse that talks about the joy of the Lord being our strength. I've read this passage countless times. I've had other moments of revelation in it. But this week, as I was both recognizing and lamenting my own wayward, sinful heart, I found new meaning in the words.
The people were weeping at the recitation of the Law of God - long since lost to them as a nation in captivity. I have read this passage before and felt what the weight of the words being read must have been - a heart of repentance in the knowledge of laws broken, a heart of sorrow in the knowledge of the futility of attempting to keep all the laws and bring pleasure to God - all of these would have made me weep also. The people were told not to mourn or weep, since that was a day sacred to the Lord. They were told instead to celebrate and that the joy of the Lord was their strength.
I think I've always focused on the people being told not to mourn or weep, even as they repented. This week I was struck by the fact that a heart of repentance is exactly what the Lord was seeking. Just like the prodigal son, the heart that takes a small step back towards the Father is the heart that does bring pleasure to God, and the heart that He runs to envelop in love and forgiveness. That heart - God's heart - is a heart full of joy. God's heart is full of joy at seeing His sons and daughters take a step back towards Him and have such a deep desire to be in relationship with Him that they weep and mourn for their own brokenness and their sinful natures.
But the fact that the Lord is joyous is strength for us. Strength to know that we will not be destroyed in our wickedness and ignorance. Strength to know that God is not angry - the heart of true repentance melts His anger and opens the door to restoration. The Lord's joy is strength for us to know that He is for us, and not against us.
The joy of the Lord is our strength. Our God loves the heart of repentance. It bring Him joy, even when we feel the sorrow of our sin. The knowledge of His joy can bring us joy.
It can certainly bring us strength.
Ezra opened the book. All the people could see him because he was standing above them; and as he opened it, the people all stood up. Ezra praised the Lord, the great God; and all the people lifted their hands and responded, "Amen! Amen!" Then they bowed down and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground. The Levites—Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan and Pelaiah—instructed the people in the Law while the people were standing there. They read from the Book of the Law of God, making it clear and giving the meaning so that the people could understand what was being read. Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who were instructing the people said to them all, "This day is sacred to the Lord your God. Do not mourn or weep." For all the people had been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law. Nehemiah said, "Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is sacred to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength." The Levites calmed all the people, saying, "Be still, for this is a sacred day. Do not grieve." Then all the people went away to eat and drink, to send portions of food and to celebrate with great joy, because they now understood the words that had been made known to them. (Nehemiah 8:5-12)
