The Joy of the Lord

Years ago, we sang a scripture song that came out of the book of Nehemiah.  It was a wonderful song.  When we study this verse, we will come up with a different understanding of what the prophet Nehemiah was saying.

This month, I want to bless you and strengthen your faith by giving you what I believe is a more in-depth understanding of the joy of the Lord. First, we need to understand this is not talking about our joy.  It is talking about the Lord's joy.  Did you know there are things we do that bring joy to the Lord?  Psalm 147:11 (NLT) says, “No, the Lord’s delight is in those who fear him, those who put their hope in his unfailing love.”  When a person acts in the fear of the Lord, the Lord is delighted or joyful.  The Lord enjoys our worship and blesses us with His presence.  We need to understand that there are things that we can do that bring joy to the Lord.

What Nehemiah is talking about is the most significant reason why the Lord has joy.  If we look at this verse in context, we realize that Israel has come back to the place that the Lord wanted them to be in.  Ezra and the other leaders of Israel have taught the people the law of God.  When the people hear the law of God and realize what they had done, this caused them to weep and mourn.  Then they said to the people, ‘this day is holy to the Lord your God, do not weep.’ This weeping and mourning were caused by the people realizing they were wrong in the action and in their neglect of what God desired of them and for them.  That is what repentance is.  It is the changing of a person’s mind.  Instead of thinking our way about things, we begin to think God’s way.  We accept God’s desire for us and our desire for Him.

Verse 10 says, “ And Nehemiah continued, “Go and celebrate with a feast of rich foods and sweet drinks, and share gifts of food with people who have nothing prepared. This is a sacred day before our Lord. Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength!” (NLT) Nehemiah speaks to the people as prophet and governor.  He tells them to change what they have done.  In Nehemiah’s statement we see that there comes a time to move on from repentance.  Nehemiah tells the people eat the fat, drink of the sweet and give to those who have nothing prepared.  Then he says this day is holy to the Lord.  That means the day the people repent is set apart as a day that is momentous to the Lord.  It is a special day for the Lord.  Then Nehemiah says to stop grieving.  In other words, move on to what the Lord has for you.

The next phrase is so vital to our lives; Nehemiah 8:10, “The joy of the Lord is your strength.”  Many times, we have translated this as the joy that comes from making Jesus the Lord.  I don’t believe that was what it meant in this verse.  This verse talks about the joy that the Lord has and not us.  Jesus spoke of this joy in Luke 15:10 (NASB95) “In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” Jesus is saying that when a person comes to repentance, there is joy in heaven. 

The next thing that Jesus speaks of is the story of the prodigal son.  The father’s response is joy and celebration.  The thing that brings joy to the Lord is when we come to Him in surrender. 

It is the realization of our bringing joy to the Lord that becomes our strength.  To know that we are pleasing to God and in right relationship with Him brings us strength.  To know we are His and He is ours brings us strength!  Nothing in this world is greater then the strength we have when we know that nothing can separate us from the love of God. 

I want to encourage you to think of the joy the Father has in you.  That will strengthen you in every situation.