For the Joy of the Lord is Your Strength

Catherine DeGuzman, West Professionals, Australia

I stumbled upon this scripture many years ago and I wondered what it meant to have this verse, "for the joy of the Lord is your strength." 2022 is my 30th year as a disciple and my relationship with God is important to me. I pray that today we'll learn to have a deep respect and awe for God and to learn that our joy and strength only comes from our relationship with Him.

Nehemiah 8

devotional

A. Making time and preparing our hearts to seek God daily (Nehemiah 8:1) The Israelites acted on their desire to know God by coming together as one. As Christians, the first step to have a deep relationship with God is turning up to make time with God daily and be prepared to hear Him. It doesn't matter where it is. What matters is we meet God daily.

B. Listen attentively to the Book of the Law (Nehemiah 8:3) The Israelites listened to God as it was read aloud from daybreak till noon. Wow, what a heart! Listening to God attentively is key because it has the power to change our hearts. Jeremiah 29:13-14 says that when you seek God wholeheartedly you will find him. It is in our wholehearted effort that we can find God. Do you seek God's word wholeheartedly?

C. Worship the Lord (Nehemiah 8:5-6; John 4:23-24) Do we stand in awe when we hear the scriptures? Is our spirit one with Christ? The Israelites stood as soon as Ezra opened the bible. I am amazed at how the Israelites respected God's Word and it challenges me to the core that I need to do the same. They bowed down and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground. To kneel or lay face down before someone as an act of reverence. Biblical worship is acknowledging that God is the King and results in us living lives in light of that truth. Worship is a beautiful and powerful reality if we understand it from God's perspective.

John 4:23-24, "...when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” reflection questions • What is taking priority over making time for God? • Do you have awe for God’s word? • How can you make a reminder for yourself like the feast of Tabernacles?

D. Examine the scriptures (Nehemiah 8:8 & 13; Romans 12:1-2, Acts 17:11) Nehemiah 8:8 – Examining the scriptures is an essential part in knowing God and through this we can live out the scriptures by assessing what we have done and deciding to change from what we just heard.

Romans 12:2 – Renewing our minds daily from God's word is what transforms us. Our goal is to be transformed like Christ.

Nehemiah 8:13 – I am inspired by this scripture that the heads of all the families gathered around Ezra to give attention to the word of the Law. I think nowadays this is a call for single mums and for all Christians too. As an ambassador of Christ, we have to reflect God and be able to teach them through our example.

Acts 17:11 – the Bereans were more noble than the Thessalonians because of their personal integrity to God.

E. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength (Nehemiah 8:10 & 17) The Israelites were grieving in this verse because they knew how far they were from God. But from God's perspective it is a joyful time because at last they see God. God's goal is for everyone to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9) and our goal is to be transformed like Christ.

During the seven day Feast of Tabernacles, the people lived in booths made of branches. This practice was instituted as a reminder of their rescue from Egypt. God wanted them to remember that He would still protect and guide them if they obeyed him. The same promise is for us, God's protection and guidance is available to us when we obey. This is our strength: a repentant heart by hearing God's word. Let God's word change us to be like him and verse 17 says, And their joy was very great because they knew God. 

reflection questions

• What is taking priority over making time for God?

• Do you have awe for God’s word?

• How can you make a reminder for yourself like the feast of Tabernacles?