The Joy of the Lord is Our Strength
Monday’s Verse:
From Nehemiah 8:10b ESV
"Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength."
The nation of Israel had assembled to hear the Word of the Lord. Ezra began to read the Law to the people and they started weeping. They understood their sin. They understood their failure. They understood how far they had strayed from the ways of the Lord.
But Nehemiah and Ezra encouraged them with these words: “Do not weep, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”
This is such a beautiful picture of the Christian life. God’s Word convicts us of sin. As we hear His Word, we’re like those Israelites who open their Bibles and see just how foolish they’ve been. We realize we can’t save ourselves.
But that’s not where the story ends. That’s not how God wants us to finish the Bible. The Law convicts us of sin so that the Gospel can declare forgiveness in Christ.
The joy of the Lord is our strength because it is a joy that does not depend on our performance. It is not happy feelings in the good times and sadness in the bad times. The joy of the Lord comes when we realize that our sins are forgiven, that Christ died and rose for us, and that we are His.
Luther talked about the comforting Gospel message all the time. We don’t get strength by burying our heads in the sand and acting like all our troubles will go away. We find strength when we realize that our greatest trouble–the trouble of sin–has already been carried by Christ. He took our sin on the cross and gave us His righteousness in return.
When life is good, the joy of the Lord is our strength. When life is hard, the joy of the Lord is our strength. When health is plentiful, the joy of the Lord is our strength. When health is failing, the joy of the Lord is our strength.
The joy of the Lord is our strength because His promises are true regardless of how we feel. Since His promises never fail, His joy will be our strength.
✝️ A Prayer for Today:
Father, when sin, worry, or sadness pull my heart away from You, remind me of the joy that is mine in Christ’s death and resurrection. Fill me with the knowledge of Your forgiveness and the hope of eternal life. Let Your joy be my strength today and every day. Amen.
Apostles’ Creed:
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer:
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven; give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
Luther’s Morning Prayer:
I thank You, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son, that You have kept me this night from all harm and danger; and I pray that You would keep me this day also from sin and every evil, that all my doings and life may please You. For into Your hands, I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things. Let Your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me. Amen.
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