The Joy of the Lord Is Strength - Lee Brainard
In Neh. 8:10 we read, “the joy of the Lord is your strength.” The context is the Israelites rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem after their return from captivity in Babylon. Ezra assembled the people and had preachers read the Bible and explain it to them (Neh. 8:5-7). As so often happens, the people wept — over their sin and unbelief — when they first heard the word of God preached faithfully. Then Ezra stilled the people, encouraged them not to grieve any more, and said, “the joy of the Lord is your strength.”
Why did Ezra encourage them to rejoice rather than mourn? Because sorrow for sin is a step, not an end in and of itself. The spirit of this counsel is like Paul’s advice, “forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead” (Phil 3:13). You have repented. Good. Now forget about your past mistakes and let the joy of the Lord be your strength to go forward, do right, and live right.
So how do men get this joy? The Bible. The same Bible that causes godly sorrow also brings joy through its many precious truths and promises (Neh. 8:12). “These things have I spoken to you … that your joy may be full” (John 15:11). “Your word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of my heart” (Jer. 15:16). “Happy are they that keep his testimonies and seek him with the whole heart” (Ps. 119:2).
~Lee Brainard, December 13, 2014