Strength From the Lord

Nehemiah 8:10 “Then he said to them, “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.””

A little background. The prophet Ezra is the one who is reading here, yet the book is names Nehemiah. This is because the leadership of Nehemiah is in focus. The Jewish people were led off into captivity because of their rebellion against God. First the 10 northern tribes of Israel were carried off by the Assyrians, after that the 2 tribes to the south were taken a few centuries later by the Babylonians. Then there were these groups of people called the Medes and the Persians. They came into town and they conquered everything. They had a king named Cyrus who was a merciful and just king. God used him to allow the Israelites to begin resettling their homeland, and reinstating their worships. The Persians allowed for the rebuilding of the temple as well so that worship my resume. But one thing the Jews lacked. They had their city, they had their temple, but something was amiss. What do you think that is? A wall. A city is weak without a wall, which a foreign ruler typically wants.

But a city cannot be fortified without a wall, and it can easily be sacked again and again. There was a man named Nehemiah who was born a Jew, and became the cupbearer of the king. This role was important because he would supply the king with drinks, but he would also drink it first in order to insure that there was no poison in the cup. Nehemiah had one of the most trusted positions in the empire. Because of this he gained favor with the king of Persia. Having the kings trust, Nehemiah was eventually assigned governor of Jerusalem. Being trustworthy Nehemiah petitioned to have the wall rebuilt to which the king granted. Nehemiah and his people began rebuilding the wall, which will reestablish the city of Jerusalem. During the building the prophet Ezra gathered the people, all men-women-and understanding peoples (teens) and he read for them God’s law. Then he had priest’s explain what God’s law meant. The people wept for their realization of their transgressions against the law, and at the realization of how merciful God is (They were free from captivity and given their lands back.)

They were reminded that

1.) God gives us strength by restoring what is broken. When you are lost/wandering:

Romans 8:32 “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?”

The Israelites had a covenant with God through their forefather Abraham. He would be their one and only God, and He would take care of them, establish them, and bless them beyond measure. He did that so long as they kept their end of the bargain. When they did not, He would send messengers. If they refused the messengers, God would punish them to whatever severity they needed. But He would always restore them. He would always return them to their lands, and bring them back to His side.

Tonight, if you have been doing some straying I want you to know that God loves you. Romans 5:8 “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” It does not matter what you have done nor how far you have gone, He wants you home by His side. He is ready to restore you. You only have to turn back to Him.

If you have never been saved, then I want you to know that God has done everything in His power to secure an eternal relationship with you. What kind of God would look at us in our filth and say “I want that young man or woman”? God loves you. He loves you so much that He gave His life for you, and whoever it is that would place their trust in Him would have eternal life.

Our Joy is found when we realize that no matter how rough we are, Christ died to put that version of ourselves away, and create in us a new being. Christ died to set us free. That is something that should bring us joy.

2.) God fortifies the strong by delight in His will. Psalms 40:8 “I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart.””

Those who are straining to do what is right, those who sacrifice to walk the straight line that God has drawn out for us, those who seek to do His will above all things I want you to know that He sees you. It may be tough to choose Him at times. It is generally tough to deny ourselves and follow Him, but it is worth it.

When you follow the Lord, it pleases Him. When our God and Master are happy, then we are given joy. Those of you who are pleasing God, you get it. Keep it up. Let God’s happiness with your walk be the joy that pushes you through the hard time.

If you are struggling with joy, if you are struggling with your peace, come talk to me. We will sit down and hash it out. Don’t do it alone.