Then he said to them, “Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.” Nehemiah 8:10
August 2, 2022
Is it possible to experience a sudden change in emotions in a short time? It is. We can see this in Nehemiah 8:9-12. This reveals to us important thoughts on the relationship between sorrow and joy. First of all, Israel was in the midst of a “build back better” effort to build the wall around Jerusalem. This was critical to the reestablishing of Israel’s witness nation status upon returning for the exile in Babylon. Vital to this work was covenant renewal through an exposition of the Word of God (probably portions of Deuteronomy). This caused grief and conviction of sin which resulted in tears of repentance. Turning on an emotional dime, as it were, sadness gave way to joyful celebration. Now the task was keeping the wall up and full restoration to covenant life. There is a place for sadness. It is not “mental illness.” To the contrary, it can become an eye-opener. Perhaps you are experiencing a season of sadness. What is behind it? The joy of the Lord is reachable. The joy of the Lord is nourished by God’s eternal and infallible Word. Why turn to chemicals when the springs of living water are provided in Christ? We have walls to build and maintain: A good marriage, a better relationship with your child, a better effort to reach the unsaved, a better outlook on trials that threaten us. There is strength in joy. Joy does not share a room with fear. Show fear the door. Joy knows that only God can satisfy us. H
“Our sadness calls us to the same joy our Savior had as he thought about rescuing us from the penalty of sin.” Dr. Charles Hodges