Skip to main content

The Joy of the Lord



Most Christians are familiar with the end of Nehemiah 8:10.  "...for the joy of the Lord is your strength." The challenge would be to see if how many would know the full verse.

"Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the Lord is your strength." KJV

Here is what happened.

Jerusalem's walls were in ruins, having been destroyed by one invader after another.  Nehemiah was named governor of the region and began the task of rebuilding the falls of the city.  It took 52 days for the people to rebuild the walls and the gates of Jerusalem.

A day was set aside to celebrate the completion.  As part of that celebrate, Ezra, the religious leader at the time was asked to read the laws of Moses as given by God.  On that morning, Ezra read till noon, and as the people began to understand how they had sinned and forgotten the grace of God, they began to weep.

It was then that Ezra and Nehemiah extolled the people to not cry.  It was a holy day in the eyes of the Lord, a day of celebration, not a day of mourning.  It is then that we get the tenth verse of the eight chapter of Nehemiah.

The people were not to focus on the failures of the past, but to look forward to the possibilities of a life covered by the love and grace of God.

The next time you see "The joy of the Lord is your strength" remember the story and to focus on the possibilities of the future and not the failures of the past.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Hard Words

The sixth chapter of the Gospel of John spends a lot of time dealing with bread and eating.  But it isn't till the end of this long chapter that Jesus gets to the meat of the lesson.  Everything is going along fairly smoothly, even if not fully understood. Then Jesus announces that his flesh and blood is the main ingredients of the saving meal. Jesus said, "Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them. Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like that which your ancestors ate, and they died. But the one who eats this bread will live forever."   John 6:56-59 NRSV This is one of the most difficult text to read.  It is disquieting, even gross.  No wonder many of those who were following Jesus at the time walked away. People walked away because they could not see beyond the hard words.  Up to this point, they enjoyed the image
Post a Comment
Read more

Foolish Things - Excerpts from February 2, 2014 Sermon

Foolish Things: There are some very strange laws on the books concerning churches and here are just a few: young girls are never allowed to walk a tightrope in Wheeler, Mississippi, unless it’s in a church.  In Blackwater, Kentucky, tickling a woman under her chin with a feather duster while she’s in church service carries a penalty of $10.00 and one day in jail.  In Honey Creek, Iowa, no one is permitted to carry a slingshot to church except police.  No citizen in Leecreek, Arkansas, is allowed to attend church in any red-colored garment.  Swinging a yo-yo in church or anywhere in public on the Sabbath is prohibited in Studley, Virginia. And, finally, turtle races are not permitted within 100 yards of a local church at any time in Slaughter, Louisiana. (2) There is a lot of foolishness in the world—and that foolishness includes you and me. That’s right. Paul calls us foolish. He writes in I Corinthians 1: 26-29, “Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not
Post a Comment
Read more

Waiting...

As we anxiously await the arrival of our third grandchild, I am filled with thoughts of the people who are watching all of us from heaven’s gate: my mother, Tammy’s mother, and Tammy’s Grandmother.   These three would be so excited to hold, love, and spoil one more grandchild.   I know they are watching over my daughter Holly and her husband Nick with great joy and anticipation.   And I can hear them explaining to others in heaven how proud they are of their children, grandchildren, great and great-great grandchildren.   I can see them tugging on an angels wing with orders to watch over all of us.   I can see them winch every time one of us messes up or causes another pain.   Knowing they are watching makes the difficult times more bearable.   Knowing they are watching makes mistakes and missteps more painful.   As a parent and grandparent, I know the kinds of dreams and hopes they had for us.   I know how often I crushed those dreams and I know there were times when I was able
Post a Comment
Read more