Be Strong

Be not grieved and depressed, for the joy of the Lord is your strength and stronghold.  Nehemiah 8:10

Nehemiah, Ezra, and other religious and civil leaders of their day had been given the job of leading the Jews back to Jerusalem after seventy years of exile.  It hadn't been easy work for those who had made the long journey.  Solomon's beautiful temple had been destroyed, and the attempts rebuild it had resulted in something very inferior to what they remembered.  Rebuilding the walls and reestablishing their homes were tasks made more difficult when they only had one hand with which to build.  They held weapons in their other hand in order to defend their right to live in the land.  At one point the work of rebuilding was stopped after their enemies wrote a letter to the Persian king pointing out the unsuitability of the Jews to live out from under the immediate control of their captors.

Now the work was done, and the people wanted to hear what the Law of God said so they could avoid making the same mistakes again.  All the Jews in the land came to Jerusalem and listened as Ezra read from the Law and Levites explained what they were hearing.  The renewed understanding of God's Word caused them to weep.  Finally Nehemiah stood before the people he now governed and begged them not to be grieved and depressed.  God was pleased with their desire to do what He commanded.  It was a day for rejoicing for they were back in the land.

Father; joy gives us strength to do

Your will.  Let us find our

joy in 

You today.