The joy of the LORD is your strength

The joy of the Lord is your strength
Nehemiah 8:10 NIV

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The story of Nehemiah opens in the Persian city of Susa in the year 444 BC. The Israelites have been in exile there for 70 years and Nehemiah, a Jew, is a servant of the king, Artaxerxes. But God is on the move. He instructs Nehemiah to travel to Israel and lead the rebuilding of the wall of Jerusalem which was destroyed as the Israelites were taken into captivity.
 
In chapter eight we read that a solemn assembly has been called. The city wall has been rebuilt and now the returned exiles seek the face of God for the future. God’s word is spoken over them and they realise how far they have wandered from their Holy God. They realise their actions have brought them under judgement. And so they weep.
 
But in the middle of the mourning Nehemiah says an extraordinary thing – verse 10: “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.” 

Why does he say that? Surely he knows the people have seen the connection between their sins and their situation? Surely he sees they have understood that their slavery in Babylon came as a direct result of their failure? Isn’t being filled with remorse the right response?  Surely, the last thing they should be feeling is joy?
 
But instead of dwelling on the sin and failure, Nehemiah comforts the people. Because he knows the people have repented and now wants to turn their thinking to how God will respond. To help the people know they can come to God as they are and find the strength to put their lives - and their nation - back together. Nehemiah understands that once the people grasp the fact God has saved them they will be filled with an inexpressible joy. And he knows that joy produces strength and strength propels people forward.

Right there and then the experience of joy led to revival.

If we’re longing for revival - personally or for the nations we love - we need to start with getting some holy joy. So, how do we do it?  We're going to look at this passage over three posts starting with…
 
Joy is an outcome of receiving the word of God    
Ephesians 6 describes the word of God as the sword of the spirit. There’s no doubt that the word acted as a sword in Nehemiah 8. It cut through the people’s thinking; it cut through their focus on their circumstances; it cut through their hearts. And although the word initially brought repentance and tears, it led to joy. 

We know, don't we, that the word of God is alive and powerful (Heb 4:12). It is the through the living and enduring word of God that we are born again not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible (1Pe 1:23). It is through the word that God makes known to us the path of life> And you know what the second part of that verse says, don't you? "You make known to me the path of life; in your presence is fullness of joy." 

The word pulls us in to the presence of God and we find joy there. And more than that the word actually becomes joy within us. Jeremiah. 15:16 says: "Your words were found, and I ate them, and Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart; for I am called by Your name, O Lord God of hosts."
 
Want more joy?  Want a revival? Then let's start devouring the word of God.