Joy!

“Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” (Nehemiah 8:10b)

Led by Nehemiah, the walls of Jerusalem had been rebuilt and the Israelites who had been exiled to Babylon began to return to their homeland. In the aforementioned scripture, the Israelites were being encouraged after hearing the priest Ezra read from the book of the Law that was given by God to the Israelites (Nehemiah 8). This should be a joyous occasion however they had become grieved upon hearing Ezra speak and began to mourn and weep because they realized how far they had wandered away from God and His teachings. 

It is the third week of Advent and we focus on joy. When someone has been good to you, provided for your needs and looked out for your welfare, the appropriate response would be to be thankful and to want to please them. Unfortunately too often we have short term memory and soon after receiving what is good, we fall back into bad patterns and more specifically, patterns of sin or willful disobedience. Instead of allowing the mourning and deep regret the Nehemiah encouraged the Israelites to celebrate, to celebrate restoration, to celebrate the God who is compassionate and filled with mercy.

We too fall back into bad patterns and behaviors, but we also have a God who loves us and wants nothing more than for us to repent and return to Him. That alone should bring us joy. 

As we celebrate this third week of Advent celebrate the faithful God who gives us the strength to endure no matter the circumstance and fills us with joy as we give thanks for all He has done.