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When Pam and I returned to Toronto this past spring, we were able to share a bit about our time in the Dominican Republic at our church. I shared about a few things that break my heart, and some things that give me hope. I reflected that this is part of the Christian life: living with broken, yet hopeful hearts.
When we reflect on the things that are wrong in the world, or the things that are wrong in our lives, we can respond with grief, anxiety, or all too easily, anger, rage or apathy because change seems impossible. But even in the midst of being broken hearted, angry, anxious or immobilized, there is this wonderful verse in Nehemiah 8 that says “the joy of the Lord is our strength!”
The context of the verse is Nehemiah's return from exile to Jerusalem to rebuild the walls of the destroyed and vulnerable city. In Chapter 8, the embattled people of the city gather and Ezra the scribe reads from the Book of the Law and he and others explain it to the people all day. As the people begin to understand God's ways, their hearts are broken and they weep because they realize how far they have been from God's will and way for generations. Nehemiah stands up and says, “Don’t mourn or weep on such a day as this! For today is a sacred day before the Lord your God. … Go and celebrate with a feast of rich foods and sweet drinks, and share gifts of food with people who have nothing prepared. This is a sacred day before our Lord. Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength!”
Even when we are broken hearted, angry, or immobilized because of the world around us, or the world inside us, the joy of the Lord is our strength! This joy gives us the strength to live through the brokenness and evil in our world and in ourselves. And, it can give us the strength to be part of the change that needs to happen.
How do we live in the joy of the Lord?
I live in His joy by focusing on the goodness of His character through the character of Jesus. Read the Gospels and revel in the goodness of God.
The description of love in 1 Corinthians 13, and the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23 are descriptions of God’s character. Meditate on these and take joy in the goodness of God.
The people in Nehemiah’s day were discouraged and embattled on all sides, and yet, “the joy of the Lord was their strength! Even if you are feeling discouraged and embattled, the joy of the Lord is your strength!
Blessing:
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
