“…Do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”
Nehemiah 8:10b NASB
Grace Perspective:
Grieved… to be sorrowful, to mourn, or to lament. This passage of Scripture describes an event after the Jewish exiles returned to Jerusalem from their captivity in Babylon. (Read all of Nehemah for a deeper understanding) The whole community gathered to listen to Ezra, a priest, read God’s Word. He read from the Book of the Law of Moses – specifically Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. These Scriptures clarify how we are to walk with God, giving us insight into who He is and how we are to relate to Him.
As Ezra read through these passages, the truth of Scripture stirred in the hearts of those who listened and caused them to grieve their sins. They wept because they realized how deeply their sin hurt God, and they understood how their disobedience to God’s instructions had damaged their relationship with the Lord.
But God spoke through Ezra, reminding the people that His grace is transformative, His mercy is deep, and His love is steadfast. The great assembly of people remembered how great God is, and their grief turned to rejoicing. Joy strengthened their hearts as they began to understand that God’s grace can turn our grief into joy. He wants us to love Him with all our hearts – to know Him, to trust Him, to seek Him, and after that, He will give us strength for whatever life brings.
A Touch of Grace:
How does the Word of God transform your heart?
What sin grieves you?
How can knowing God’s grace of forgiveness turn your grief into joy?
Grace Application:
While grieving our sins is essential, we shouldn’t dwell in deep mourning. Like the listeners of Ezra’s reading, we should feel conviction for our disobedience. However, we must shift our focus from grief to the joy of Christ’s forgiveness because He paid for all our sins.
A conviction of sin is good—it means we have a heart sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s leading. When we see that our choices to be disobedient to God cause Him pain, that grief should motivate us to turn away from sin and back towards the Lord.
I deeply mourn my sin – past and present – because I know that it is my sin that nailed Christ to the cross. Sometimes, I let grief overwhelm me and cloud my mind, making me forget how deep the Father’s love is for me, and I lose sight of how great my Savior is. At these times, I need to cling to this passage of Scripture – holding fast to the truth that my joy of the Lord is my strength.
A thoughtful friend reminded me of this truth and sent me Matthew Henry’s commentary on Nehemiah 8:10b, where he says,
“Holy joy will be oil to the wheels of our obedience. The joy of the Lord will arm us against the assaults of our spiritual enemies and put our mouths out of taste for those pleasures with which the tempter baits his hooks.”1
“Holy joy oil” is a by-product of repentance and the joy of knowing God’s gracious forgiveness. Knowing the Lord has forgiven us is a reason to rejoice even as we mourn our sins. Keeping our hearts focused on this truth will give us strength to continue as we walk with God.
Gracious Prayer:
Abba Father, I come to You in the Precious Name of Christ Jesus, my Savior, thankful that You don’t leave me alone in my sin. Holy Spirit, search my heart and show me where I harbor sin. Help me turn from my sin and embrace Christ’s forgiveness. Help me grieve my disobedience, then rejoice in Your mercy, kindness, and steadfast love. May my joy in You strengthen my heart so I may serve You more. Amen
**Today, as you read this, I pray you will know you are in Christ Jesus. If you have any doubt, please call out to God so all doubt is erased. Today is a good day to be assured of salvation in Christ Jesus. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to get in touch with me at graceisdawning@gmail.com**
http://www.studylight.org/com/mhccom/view.cgi book=ne&chapter=8&verse=10#Ne8_