Nehemiah 8.10 says, “… the joy of the Lord is your strength.” How did the people in Nehemiah’s day go from brokenness over their sin to joy? Why should we find joy for the same reasons?

Also, read about the importance of different spiritual gifts, why it’s so important to understand the character of God, and how God uses the storms in our lives.

Today’s Readings:

How Brokenness Over Sin Leads to Joy

Nehemiah 8 & 9:

The Importance of Different Gifts

Long before it was time for the exiles to return to Jerusalem after their 70 years in Babylonian captivity and begin rebuilding, God had been working. He had prepared Ezra with a great knowledge of the Scriptures and Nehemiah as a leader with the energy and gifts to accomplish the rebuilding of the walls. What a great example of how God gifts people differently and then brings them together to accomplish His work. Ezra, while a great man of God, had been back in Jerusalem for twelve years, but it wasn’t until Nehemiah came that the Feast of Booths was reinstated, the walls were rebuilt, and other things began to happen.

Many Members, One Body

In the New Testament, we are called the body of Christ. Romans 12.4-8 says:

4 For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, 5 so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. 6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; 7 or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; 8 he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.

As believers, each of us has been gifted to serve God and each other. 1 Corinthians 12 says:

But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all (v.7).

Every gift is necessary and important.

If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling? … And if they were all one member, where would the body be? (vv. 17, 19).

So rather than coveting someone else’s gift, each of us needs to seek to glorify God and serve others in the way God has chosen for us.

From Sorrow to Joy

The result of Ezra’s and Nehemiah’s gifts working together, along with those of others who helped teach the people, was a reverence for the Word. They stood for three hours or more while the Scriptures were read and expounded … they bowed their faces to the ground … they wept in repentance.

We, too, should be grieved when we are confronted with our sin through the reading and study of the Scriptures, the preaching of the Word, or the rebuke of others. But, as Matthew Henry says in his commentary:

Even sorrow for sin must not hinder our joy in God, but rather lead us to it and prepare us for it.

The wretchedness of our sin should cause us to rejoice in the amazing grace of God through the gospel!

Then he said to them, ‘Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.’ … And all the people went their way to eat and drink, to send portions and rejoice greatly, because they understood the words that were declared to them (Neh. 8.10, 12).

The proper understanding of God and His word led to great joy and celebration among the people. And when we understand God’s mercy and grace to us who are His children, we too can find joy in knowing we have peace with Him.

Our Only Hope, Even When We Fail

When we embrace the gospel as our only hope and place our faith and trust in what Jesus did for us on the cross, we are no longer under the penalty of death because of our sin. And when we fail Him, as we will, forgiveness and cleansing are available when we repent and ask.

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 Jn. 1.9).

True repentance is brokenness over sin that leads to a change in thinking and behavior. Worldly sorrow is merely regret over the results (getting caught, shame, embarrassment, or other consequences).

So let’s pray that God would grant us repentance that leads to genuine change and the peace and joy that can only come through a right relationship with Him and a right understanding of the gospel and its ongoing importance in our lives.

Note: If you’re not sure you fully understand or have embraced the Gospel, you can click here for more information.

Today’s Other Readings:

Psalm 89.11-18:

Glories, Blessings & Rejoicing

In verses 11-14, the psalmist continues to extol the glories of God, and in verse 15 he begins to talk about the blessings of the children of God. Then verses 16-18 remind us that we can rejoice in who God is (good and righteous), that He makes us strong, that He causes us to walk in the light (wisdom and understanding), and that it pleases Him to take care of us.

Meditating on the glories (character qualities or attributes of God) and the blessings of being His children should cause us to rejoice and be thankful. That’s exactly what happened with the Israelites in Ezra and Nehemiah’s time. They repented over their own sin but gloried in His forgiveness and grace.

If you don’t feel joyful in your relationship with Him or if you’re struggling just to trust Him in some area of your life, perhaps you need to learn more about Him and His attributes. You might use an online concordance like Bible Gateway or Blue Letter Bible to look up verses about God.

Two good books on the subject are It’s Not Fair!: Finding Hope When Times Are Tough by Wayne Mack and The Attributes of God by A.W. Pink.

You can also view Dr. Steven Lawson’s teachings on the attributes of God on YouTube. Here is a sampling:

Proverbs 21.29-31:

The Victory is God’s

The horse is prepared for the day of battle, but the victory belongs to the LORD (v. 31).

We are to do our part in any battle by being obedient, but God takes care of the results!

Acts 27.27-44:

Our Storms & His Good Purpose

As Paul was traveling by ship to Rome, a fierce storm arises. It gets so bad that the people on board are not even eating because of their fear. They have done all they can do: thrown things overboard, tried to anchor to keep from going aground, but here in this passage, they are preparing for the worst. God is faithful to His word, though, and brings them safely to shore.

While we understand that God had a special purpose in protecting Paul, this should still be a great encouragement to us in our storms. Though He may allow our ships to break apart, He is still in control and is working all things for His good purposes in our lives.

Coming Up:

In the coming days, we’ll talk about what some have called the great exchange, the deception of self-righteousness, and how we as parents expect God to give us certain guarantees.

I hope you’ll sign up so you don’t miss any of them. You might also like to check out our YouTube channel.

If this post spoke to you, I would love it if you would share it on your favorite social media platform.

And if you don’t already have a copy, you might want to purchase a copy of my eBook, 10 Benefits of Keeping a Spiritual Journal. It’s available on Kindle or in paperback (the paperback has 31 days of blank journaling pages with prompts to help you get started).

Blessings as you grow in Christ,
Donna ♥

Note about this post:

I began blogging through the Bible in 2012 and have done so every year since then. These posts are the product of many edits and additions throughout those years. Some days I make major changes, other days fewer. 

A while ago, I read Jen Wilkin’s book None Like Him about the attributes of God. One is His incomprehensibility. In it, she says, “God is incomprehensible. This does not mean that he is unknowable, but that he is unable to be fully known.”

I have found that to be true each year as I’ve gone back through the Bible. Sometimes I find myself feeling as if a passage just appeared there for the first time. I’m reminded that no matter how many times we read through the Bible, we have only scratched the surface. I hope you feel the same.

Indeed these are the mere edges of His ways,
And how small a whisper we hear of Him!
But the thunder of His power who can understand?” (Job 26.14)

I sometimes LINKUP with these blogs.