Image from dustoffthebible.com
all the people gathered together into the square before the Water Gate. They told the scribe Ezra to bring the book of the law of Moses, which the Lord had given to Israel. Accordingly, the priest Ezra brought the law before the assembly, both men and women and all who could hear with understanding. This was on the first day of the seventh month. He read from it facing the square before the Water Gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women and those who could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive to the book of the law. And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was standing above all the people; and when he opened it, all the people stood up. Then Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God, and all the people answered, ‘Amen, Amen’, lifting up their hands. Then they bowed their heads and worshipped the Lord with their faces to the ground. So they read from the book, from the law of God, with interpretation. They gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading. And Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, ‘This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn or weep.’ For all the people wept when they heard the words of the law. Then he said to them, ‘Go your way, eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions of them to those for whom nothing is prepared, for this day is holy to our Lord; and do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.’ (Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, -10)
May this be a day of rich blessings for you and yours, dear Friend! May the joy of the Lord indeed be your strength today, and all days!
A dear pastor friend told me that this is the time of year a lot of people despair, and he was sensing this happening in his church. I knew from my pastoral experience that he was right. And I've made that my prayer for this week, praying that those who feel despair might feel hope. And this morning I woke up with the notion that the word despair means going at it alone. So, I looked it up, and yes, des means without, and sperare means hope. I take it further and it could mean when we try to live life without God and God's help, we will find ourselves without hope. Going at it alone is a tough thing. And we find in today's passage an assembly of the remnant of God's people fully in despair. Their history throughout the Old Testament is them thinking they know better and more than God, and they go at it alone. They get defeated in battle, carried off as POWs, or get conquered and live their lives under the watchful and forceful eyes of foreign governments, etc; then they cry out, and God responds. It kinda sounds like our lives too. Here, what saved them was their having found a copy of the law of Moses, a section of their Bible, which they read from early morning until midday, with interpretation, meaning someone was sharing their thoughts on what they were hearing. This was worship. The Bible was read and the word was preached. And they were elated! They finally remembered God (and not the other way around!) and wept. And God's response through the prophet was that they should do something about their worship. And this still applies today. Many just come to worship, hear the word, go home and nothing has changed; no response, no action for God. I underlined the key above: Do something after worship that shows that God has indeed been glorified in your life! In this case, take care of the hungry in your midst, send portions of your meal for those who have nothing. And the shared response would be that this would bring joy to them/us, "for the joy of the Lord is your strength." The person who worships and responds becomes a joyful person and that person gains additional strength to do it again and again.
If this is the year for God to act, it will begin in us. As we respond, God will respond in a greater way, and all Heaven will break loose!
PRAYER: Come, Heavenly Father, in all Your glory to my life. Let me hear and respond to You in actions that bless those who need blessings, starting with me. Let my response bring joy to someone and that will bless me with joy; and together, "the joy of the Lord will be our strength!" In Christ Jesus we pray, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Share the joy of your strength with someone today!
Eradio Valverde
