Day 341 - Nehemiah Tuesday (chapters 5-9)
“And do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.” (Nehemiah 8:10)
This is such a special time of the year. A time that celebrates so much that is good in life. It is also the time of year when depression and suicide are at their highest. When the promises of the season fall flat, it’s only natural that emotions can go south.
Nehemiah reminds us to not “go south” when our circumstances don’t live up to our expectations and dreams. “The joy of the Lord is my strength.” The illustration shows us that the cross is at the heart of Christian joy. This powerful joy comes from the forgiveness of all of our sins. Stanza three of “Joy to the Word” displays the reason for Christian joy:
1. Joy to the world, the Lord is come! Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare Him room, and heaven and nature sing,
And heaven and nature sing, And heaven and heaven and nature sing.
3. No more let sins and sorrows grow nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make His blessings flow far as the curse is found,
Far as the curse is found, far as, far as the curse is found.
Almighty God, thank You for being the joy of my life. Please grant me strength to face the daily challenges in my life with joy and confidence in You. Amen.
Pastor David Paape
The following link is to the 52 Week Reading Plan Bible upon which these devotions are based. http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf
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