Celebration of Faith
Do you have anything to celebrate?
Verse of the Day
“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!””
Today’s Devotional
In the back story of today’s verse, we see Nehemiah asking Ezra to stand on a wooden platform and read aloud the book of the law to the people of Israel. There were Levites present who were “translating and giving meaning so that the people could understand what was read.” The reading of the law made the people weep, because they were repentant. Instead of weeping, they were told: “This day is holy to the Lord your God. Do not mourn or weep.” The next thing said to the people was today’s verse. “Celebrate!”
Has reading the Bible ever made you weep? Have you ever thought that having a Bible in your hands is cause for celebration? Ezra seems to imply that simply having access to God’s Word is cause for a party. I find that pretty convicting.
Being a follower of Jesus should be joyful. Not only do we have the Bible, we have the whole story of the earthly life of Jesus and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. We have a Comforter in times of trial. We have the ability to talk to God directly. So why aren’t Christians the happiest people on the planet?
Theologian Robert Hotchkins at the University of Chicago says this: “Christians ought to be celebrating constantly. We ought to be preoccupied with parties, banquets, feasts, and merriment. We ought to give ourselves over to veritable orgies of joy because we have been liberated from the fear of life and the fear of death. We ought to attract people to the church quite literally by the fun there is in being a Christian.”
The fact that the above quote does not describe me, or most Christians, must mean that my perspective is off. When I get beaten down by life, I am clearly focusing on my problems instead of on my God. Because the Bible tells me that God will help me with all of it. And ultimately it will all be over and we will get to be with God forever. So all of the junk I am currently dealing with will not matter. That’s not to say that I don’t have to handle the day-to-day activities, but I should look at it differently. Everything that is a struggle in this life is very temporary, even the really difficult things we face. When I look back over my life, the circumstances that I thought were devastating have turned out for my good, for growth, and for God’s glory. That evidence is cause for joy today knowing that God is working for our good, even when we can’t yet see it.
I also notice the celebration instructed in today’s verse includes sharing and generosity with others. Maybe including others has the ability to increase the joy we experience. Perhaps the way we treat those who “have nothing prepared” affects the joy the God pours into our lives.
One commentary says that “the joy of the Lord” is defined as the gladness of heart that comes from knowing God. We get to KNOW God, people. He wants us to know him. How cool is that? And we have a whole book that teaches us about him, and the Holy Spirit who helps us to understand it all. Truly, that fills me with joy.
If you are in a place where joy is difficult to find, I encourage you to be honest with God about it. And I would encourage all of us to take the time to pray, “Father, would you show me a glimpse of your joy today?”
Journal Prompts
Answer only the questions that seem relevant to you today.
How can you behave today in a way that embodies the joy of being a Christian?
Thank God today for his Word.
How can you shift your perspective away from your problems and toward God?
What would your life look like if you were completely full of the joy of the Lord?
How can you show generosity today?
When you pray, “Father, would you show me a glimpse of your joy today?”, what comes to your mind and heart? Write that down.