Observation & Obedience: When Nehemiah returned to Jerusalem, there was no joy to be found. The walls still lay in ruin and the people were without a leader to help them rebuild their city and their own lives.
Nehemiah was the leader they needed. He was a man with a plan; God’s plan to restore his people to himself. It would not be easy. They would encounter intimidation and dangerous threats from their neighbors.
Under the leadership of Nehemiah and with God’s protection, the Jews prevailed and the city of Jerusalem was reborn! Despite the interruptions and doubts of those watching, the wall was rebuilt in just fifty-two days!
When all our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and lost their self-confidence, because they realized that this work had been done with the help of our God (Nehemiah 6:16).
The time to celebrate had come. The wall was completed. The people were once again protected from their enemies and could rebuild their lives. But something important had to happen first before they would be successful.
When Nehemiah first arrived in Jerusalem he found more than broken walls; he found broken people. Now it was time to take care of them. He gathered the people together to listen to the prophet Ezra read God’s law.
Nehemiah 8:3 tells us that Ezra read from the Law of Moses (the first five books of the Old Testament) from daybreak to noon. And because Ezra was standing, the people stood, out of respect and in anticipation.
The people were overwhelmed by what they heard. Their hearts were touched by God’s love and they turned to him for forgiveness. They were overcome with emotion and grateful for a new life. They were told: “This day is holy to the LORD your God. Do not mourn or weep.” For all the people had been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law (8:9).
The people of Jerusalem were exhausted. They had worked day and night to rebuild the wall. They had fought for their lives and their families’ safety. There were times when they wanted to just give up on the project.
Now they found themselves standing for hours in the hot sun listening to God’s Word being read aloud. Their emotional grief was taking its toll on them physically. Nehemiah recognized this and encouraged them.
Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength (8:10).
Nehemiah wanted them to know that what they had done, confessing of their sin and turning their lives back to God, thrilled God! And it was from his joy that they would gain strength to do whatever he asked of them.
We can have that same strength as well. When we listen to God’s Word and it causes a change in our lives that brings us closer to God, he is filled with joy! He in turn, fills us with his strength.
Do you feel weak today? Is your spirit grieving over a sin in your life? Do you find yourself lacking joy and strength? The answer is to do what the Israelites did: absorb God’s Word, allow it to convict and comfort you, admit your sin before God and then accept the strength of his joy!
Prayer: “Dear God, I don’t want to live my life in physical and emotional exhaustion. You were with the people as they rebuilt the wall and you are with me as I build my life; a life established on your Word. I can’t build this life on my own. So today I choose to gain my strength from the joy you give me when I confess, obey and worship you. Amen.”
Encouragement: Following Jesus makes your life better, and makes you better at life. Andy Stanley
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