In Need of Strength

"And do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength."

—Nehemiah 8:10

Are you weak and weary? Do you want to give up or give in? Do you feel as if all hope is gone? Do you feel as if your strength has been sapped, as in the heat of summer? Go to God. Revisit your salvation and you will find an indescribable river of delight, a refreshing couch of rest, and the restoration of your spiritual vitality in your relationship with God.

The secret strength of a believer in Christ is found in everlasting joy. Nehemiah and Ezra, the leaders of God’s people during their return from exile in Babylon, knew that God’s people were weary. They had departed from God’s word, disobeyed him and had been exiled to Babylon. Upon their return, Ezra sought to reestablish them in the Book of the Law, the center and foundation of their identity as God’s people (Nehemiah 8:1-8). There was a platform constructed for its reading, and all of the exiles came to hear the Word, as priests were dispatched to teach the people its meaning. Upon hearing the words, the people wept (Nehemiah 8:9). They knew that they had failed God and rebelled against Him. But, Nehemiah and Ezra told them not to grieve, because “the joy of the LORD is your strength.” In other words, you have returned to God; take joy in the salvation that God has provided for you. In His salvation, you will find strength for life.

For the New Testament believer, everlasting joy is given by Jesus Himself and made available through what He accomplished on the cross (cf. John 15:11; 16:20-22). And this same joy is made available to each and every believer. We may get downcast, we may be discouraged, and we may even become depressed, but for the believer who walks in the truth and obedience of Christ, joy abides nevertheless.

We can sacrifice or stifle joy when we sin, which is what David wrote about in Psalm 51. After his affair with Bathsheba and rebuke by Nathan the prophet, David repented, and Psalm 51 is the record of his repentance. He wrote,

“Against You, You only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in Your sight,
so that You may be justified in Your words
and blameless in Your judgment”
—Psalm 51:4.

It’s not as if David hadn’t sinned against Bathsheba or Uriah her husband. He did. But David knew that all sin is ultimately a sin against God. For David, his sin had spiritual and physical consequences. He felt as if his bones had been broken and were wasting away (Psalm 32:3; 51:8), and that his strength was sapped as in the heat of summer (Psalm 32:4). It wasn’t until he confessed his sin (Psalm 32:5) that his joy in God’s salvation was restored (Psalm 51:12).

How about you? Where is your joy? Is the joy of the Lord your strength? Or do you feel as if your joy has been sapped as in the heat of summer? If so, confess your sins. Remember what Jesus did on the cross for you. He paid the price for your sin. He gave you His life. Our Heavenly Father will give you the glory of heaven made available to you through the sacrifice of His one and only Son. So once you do confess, be ready to stand in the strength that divine joy affords. Amen.