Text: Nehemiah 7:73-8:18, Leviticus 23:42-43, Psalm 30:11-12
From “early morning until midday” the people stood, all of them together, and listened to the Word of God. Ezra had brought the Book down and for hours on end the sea of people stood inside the wall they had built, brick by brick, and they listened.
They listened and remembered, once again, who God is. They listened and blessed the name of the Lord. They shouted “Amen, Amen” and lifted their hands. They fell to the ground and wept, and they sought to understand what they heard. And then they rejoiced. They rose to eat and drink, to give and to obey. And all of this was worship.
Remembering who God is.
Realizing who we are in Him.
Recognizing our sin.
Repenting and receiving grace.
Rejoicing in His goodness.
Returning to our lives, ready to speak the Gospel with our words and deeds.
Repeat. Do it all again and again.
All of this is worship.
As Ezra read the Word of the Lord, the people wept for their sin. But as the leaders helped them understand what they heard, their weeping led to rejoicing. It led to generosity. It led to discernment and strength to further obey and honor the Lord. As Matthew Henry says in his commentary, “Even sorrow for sin must not hinder our joy in God, but rather lead us to it… When they understood, they rejoiced.” (emphasis mine)
The day after Ezra read the law aloud, the people of Jerusalem built tents. On their roofs and in the courts, each built a “booth”, or temporary shelter, reminiscent of those they dwelt in in the wilderness.
Like the Israelites, we are just traveling through. This world is not our Home. But while we are here, we are a tabernacle on earth; we are the very home of God. Are we inviting others into the freedom we have found? (Or, rather, the freedom that has found us?)
Sisters, let us seek to understand the fullness of the Gospel today. Let us remember our great God, recognize our sin and take hold of His complete forgiveness. And let us rejoice.
Father, may we point to You in all we do this day. May we rejoice gladly and give freely and invite others in to receive the freedom of the Gospel. And may we do it all as worship. Amen.
All that rejoicing over rediscovering God's Laws!! It makes my heart happy and I hope I can do the same. "Weeping may last for a night, but joy comes in the morning."
This has been one of my favorite devotionals to date! I love that the Levites explain that there /could/ be mourning, but it was not the time for it. Ecclesiastesl 3:4 says that there is, "a time to weep and a time to laugh; a time to mourn and a time to dance" (HCSB). God created times and seasons for our processing grief and other times for reveling in His grace.
God, please help me to be joyful today. Secure this in my heart so that all my days, I will remember how good you have been to me. Amen.
Inspired my blog this morning. Would love to have you check it out. So thankful for this Community!
http://ckisler.wordpress.com/
So beautiful!!! You've done it again!
You are so sweet and reading your blog makes me want to do better. I love what you write.
I truly love this community! There is nothing like waking up to the Word of God and the wisdom of his faithful followers. The weeping of the Israelites reminds me of the breaking of one's heart when they come to realize that they are a sinner. But Praise God for we are forgiven in Christ Jesus and made new in him! You can't help but rejoice in him! This reminds me of a wonderful song by Shane &Shane 'Your Love'. The lyrics of the chorus say "Your love tears me up, and when its done puts me together. Your love calls me out
of my death and my failure." I pray that we all rejoice today in the joy of knowing that we are saved, forgiven, and loved beyond anything we can imagine by Christ Jesus!
Lord, thank you that you take our mourning and turn it into joyful dancing!
Good morning ladies, I have had a difficult time following along in this study. Ever since the news of my sister-in-laws breast cancer (my twin brother's wife, Suzanne)I have felt overwhelmed by sadness…
She went to the Mayo clinic for a second opinion. Originally, in our home town she was scheduled for a total mastectomy, chemo, then radiation. Because it is invasive, triple negative and a very large tumor, they are trying to shrink it before they go in to remove the tumor. Chemo and radiation will follow.
Thank you SRT sister's who have responded and prayed for Suzanne. EllenMR, Carolynmimi, Lauren & Diana to name a few and the many other sister's that I know are praying for her as well. She has felt those prayers and is feeling peace.
The connection my twin brother and I is extremely strong…you've heard all the stories about the uncanny ability to truly feel the heart-strings of another soul…I think that is part of the deep sadness I feel. Not that I wouldn't feel sadness anyway…
I have such a mercy heart for anyone suffering or in pain. Or if i just met you and you are sharing something painful or tears of happiness, I am right there with you and the tears are flowing from my eyes! Lol!
God has given me my heart for others and I know I've had the joy and honor of coming along others in their journey, but this journey has taken it to a whole other level.
Thanks again for your continued prayers, encouragement and love you dear sisters have shown me. I'm so thankful for each one of you.
Praying for you and your family today Margie…"And the peace of God , which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:7
Thank you for your continued prayers.
Still praying for all of you, Margie. "Cast all you burdens on Him, for he cares for you." 1 Peter 5:7
Thank you for your prayers, Carolynmimi. I' m praying for your husband.
I read this verse this week, and it seems so fitting with our study on Nehemiah.
Isaiah 26:1 ‘We have a strong city; God makes salvation it’s walls and ramparts. Open the gates, that the righteous nation may enter, the nation that keeps faith.’
I love the worshipping that takes place, seemingly spontaneous. Their joy was overflowing, and they turned to God. And this was why their nation was so richly blessed. Beautiful to remember.
What a great connection Sue! Thanks for sharing that! I agree, beautiful to remember :)
I love the part in this passage where it becomes clear that the Israelites wept because they didn't understand, but as soon as they understood the greatness of God in the word that was spoken to them, what seemed to be a moment of despair in their sinfulness turned into a celebration over God's grace. Crossing that bridge can be so hard somedays, but I am thankful for today's truth that my current circumstances don't dictate God's goodness and faithfulness to me.
The same God who led the Israelites through the desert, through the building of a city wall, through countless moments of unfaithfulness- that God is my God. And he is faithful.
I so agree with you that it can be a hard battle some days. And this world doesn’t make it any easier. I am fighting that battle now. Whether it is hard-wired into me or whether it was something I have just learned to the point of habit now, I am a pessemistic and depressed person by nature so rejoicing and celebrating is a real leap for me. I have asked God to help me cross that bridge and I am trying to trust that He will do that. I want to find that day of dancing and rejoicing, knowing that it is my God and my God alone who brought me to it. I pray we all find that day.
Praying and rejoicing for you Melinda and Del! Let It Go! Let His love wash over you! You have been made New! I’m loving this study. Thanks to all the ladies this morning for the comments from your hearts. I can tell God is doing something wonderful through this community of ladies! So blessed and thankful that we can pray and rejoice with each other! What a wonderful way to start Friday morning! Full of Joy!