The Joy of The Lord
Hello Bride of Christ,
Days come and go in a blink of an eye. Even an individual with the best boundaries and control of their schedule war against the clock. It is a constant battle to not feel rushed, to not have too many commitments, and to focus on the present. We live in an age where preparing for tomorrow is a constant need. Honestly, I do not believe since the fall if there has ever been an age where constant preparation was not needed. Even tribes would plan ahead to ensure the basic necessities of life were never missing. If we are not aware of the battle that is occurring, the fight for our time, we can become overwhelmed and grieved by life's demands.
In the old testament the Holy Spirit captured for us the children of Israel during the time of their third return to Jerusalem after being exiled in Babylon. On this particular day, the first of the seventh month, all the people gathered in an open square in front of the Water Gate, with Ezra, the priest, to read the Book of the Law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded Israel (Nehemiah 8:1). Ezra leads them in praise before reading, "blessed the Lord, the great God." (Nehemiah 8:6) We are told all the people responded, "Amen, Amen!" (Nehemiah 8:6) They were in agreement with Ezra of who God was, that He was blessed and great. The people did not just agree in mere word, but they responded physically, "and they bowed their heads and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground." (Nehemiah 8:6) We are told the reading took place from morning until midday! (Nehemiah 8:3)
Use your creative imagination to picture yourself, as a child of Israel. You are knelt down bowing to God worshipping Him. You stand to listen. You hear Ezra reading the Book of the Law. Each blessing and cursing being expounded on by Ezra and the other priests that were gathered together for this purpose. You start off attentive and the more you listen the more you realize you do not measure up. The more you understand the more you realize time is short to fulfill this law. You listen not just for one hour, but for many hours. Now, lift up your head. It is midday. How do you feel?
The Holy Spirit reveals how the children of Israel felt, the cry of their hearts. The Holy Spirit notes that Nehemiah, the governor, Ezra, the priest, and the other scribes heard the people weeping and therefore were led to tell the people, "This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn nor weep." (Nehemiah 8:9) The children of Israel were grieved. They were grieved because they knew they did not have enough time to fulfill God's law. They were grieved because they knew they did not measure up to keep it. They were grieved because they knew they already had disappointed the Lord for they were just returning for the third time from captivity due to their disobedience and doing what was right in their sight. But God.
Bride of Christ, God did not bring the children of Israel nor us out of captivity for us to feel grieved. God did not command the reading of His law for us to be weeping and mourning in defeat. God does not bring us to a place of worship and enlightenment of His word to leave us weeping. However, as Nehemiah shared on that very day, "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." (Nehemiah 8:10) God desires for us on the days we are given sense to understand Him more, that we eat and be merry. Food and drink are more enjoyable when we recognize our Creator's provision in it. It is through understanding God more and learning more about Him that we find joy. Joy, this ability to rejoice and take great pleasure in something or someone. Nehemiah noticed this was not just any joy, this was the joy of the Lord's! This joy that created the heavens and the earth. This joy that saw Hagar in the desert. This joy that renamed Jacob to Israel. This joy that would soon one day for the children of Israel and the rest of the world send His one and only Son as the redemption for sin. This joy that would hold Jesus on the cross. Now today this joy resides within you, beloved of God. So when the clock seems to be moving too fast. When it seems you cannot wage against commitments and time anymore remember to not weep, but praise God because He has given you His joy to strengthen you.
