Nehemiah 8:9-12 (KJV)
9 And Nehemiah, which is the Tirshatha, and Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites that taught the people, said unto all the people, This day is holy unto the Lord your God; mourn not, nor weep. For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law.10 Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the Lord is your strength.
9 And Nehemiah, which is the Tirshatha, and Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites that taught the people, said unto all the people, This day is holy unto the Lord your God; mourn not, nor weep. For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law.10 Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the Lord is your strength.
Here in Nehemiah we see God as a God that wants His people to be full of JOY and not look at what is going on around them. It is when we enter into the joy of the Lord that He gives us this strength to come through what we face in this life.
Of the 326 occurrences of words for “joy” in the New Testament, 131 (or 44%) of them are found in the ten letters written by the Apostle Paul. For Paul, Christianity is as much a religion of joy as it is of grace.
Where Christ and his kingdom are present--joy is present. It has been this way from the very first times Christ was present among mankind.
When Mary was still pregnant with the soon to born Messiah, she went to see her cousin Elizabeth…and Elizabeth said: “As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.” (Luke 1: 44) Even in utero Jesus presence brings joy.
When Jesus was born the angel announced his arrival by saying: “I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people.” (Luke 2: 10)
Then the Magi learned of Jesus’ birth by seeing a star in the sky…and we are told: “When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.” (Matthew 2: 10)
Jesus last words to his followers were: “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Matthew 28:20) This is the source of joy in the Christian life…the presence of God…everywhere and always.
The Apostle Paul sums it up this way: Philippians 4:4-7: Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Union with Christ is our first and foremost source of joy…but we also find joy by living in unity with other followers of Christ.
Paul said it this way:
Philippians 2:1-4
If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others.
Of the 326 occurrences of words for “joy” in the New Testament, 131 (or 44%) of them are found in the ten letters written by the Apostle Paul. For Paul, Christianity is as much a religion of joy as it is of grace.
Where Christ and his kingdom are present--joy is present. It has been this way from the very first times Christ was present among mankind.
When Mary was still pregnant with the soon to born Messiah, she went to see her cousin Elizabeth…and Elizabeth said: “As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.” (Luke 1: 44) Even in utero Jesus presence brings joy.
When Jesus was born the angel announced his arrival by saying: “I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people.” (Luke 2: 10)
Then the Magi learned of Jesus’ birth by seeing a star in the sky…and we are told: “When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.” (Matthew 2: 10)
Jesus last words to his followers were: “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Matthew 28:20) This is the source of joy in the Christian life…the presence of God…everywhere and always.
The Apostle Paul sums it up this way: Philippians 4:4-7: Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Union with Christ is our first and foremost source of joy…but we also find joy by living in unity with other followers of Christ.
Paul said it this way:
Philippians 2:1-4
If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others.
ACTION STEP: Jesus Others Yourself. Find JOY in putting your priorities in this order. Put Jesus first, then the needs of others, and finally yourself. This order of priorities will bring JOY into our lives. If you are feeling depressed or down, go do something for someone else.
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