THE JOY OF THE LORD [ NEHEMIAH]

                       JOY OF THE LORD [NEHEMIAH]

Dear children of God, today we are going to follow the examples of a man of prayer, and how he had done great things for God and his temple. He was a trust worthy and loyal to the King Artaxerxes and a cup bearer. Nehemiah did what God had put in his heart and found that the joy of the Lord was his strength. The joy of the Lord urged him to accomplish great things for God and searched the welfare for the remnant people and the temple of God. The joy of the Lord comes from the presence of God. He was faithful and loyal to God, so God entrusted him great task of rebuilt the house of God and the walls of Jerusalem. He was a trust worthy and loyal to God and man. So he found favors in the eyes of God and man.

JOY IN PRAYER: - Nehemiah was well settled in Susan, as a cup bearer. But he had the news of Jerusalem’s ruin and its people’s critical and bad conditions. As soon as he heard these words, he sat down, wept and mourned for days, and he continued in fasting and praying before the God of heaven. He was confessing the sins of the people of Israel, which they have sinned against the God of heaven. Nehemiah prayed and said, that O lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant, and to the prayer of your servants who delight to fear your name and presence, and give success to your servant today, and grain him mercy in the sight of this man. God had granted mercy and favor in the sight of the King Artaxerxes. The King said to him, “Why is your face sad, seeing you are not sick? There is nothing but sadness of the heart. Why should not my face be sad, when the city, the place of my father’s graves, lies in ruins and its gates have been destroyed by fire? The king granted him what he had asked, for the good hand of his God was upon him. The prayer was joy of the Lord for Nehemiah, gave him strength to do his God’s work.





JOY IN DOING GOD’S WORK: - Nehemiah went to Judah and inspects Jerusalem’s walls. Task of the Lord was great, but he had joy to accomplish God’s plan and purpose. Then he said to the remnant people, you see the trouble we are in, ‘how Jerusalem lies in ruins with its gates burned. Come, let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer suffer derision. He told them of the hand of God that had been upon him for good, and also of the words that the King had spoken to him. They said, ‘let us rise and build’ so they strengthened their hands for the good works. He had opposition in his works. When Sanballat heard that they were building the walls, he was angry and greatly enraged, and he jeered at the Jews and said, what are these feeble Jews doing? Will they restore bit for themselves? Will they sacrifice? Will they finish up in a day? Will they revive the stones out of the heaps of rubbish, and burned ones at that? Nehemiah had encouraged the nobles, officials and to the peoples and said to them, the work is great and widely spread, do not afraid them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for you. When his enemies heard that it was known to them and that God had frustrated their plan, they all returned to the wall, each to their work. Nehemiah had the joy of doing God’ work and he had finished the works in the midst of obstacles and conspiracy. Now the rebuild works and the wall were finished, when all their enemies heard of it, all the nations around them were afraid and fell greatly in their own esteem, for they perceived that this work had been accomplished with the help of our God.

JOY IN SHARING: - All the people were gathered as one man into the square before the Water gate.  Ezra brought the law book and read from it, and all the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law. Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and Levi ties who taught the people and said to them, this day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn or weep. For all people wept as they heard the words of God. Then he said to them, go your way. Eat the fat and drink the sweet wine and sent portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord.  Do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength. All the people went their way to eat and drink and to send portions and to make great rejoicing, because they had understood the words that were declared to them. All the assembly of those who had returned from the captivity made booths and lived in booths, and there was very great rejoicing. At the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem, they brought them to celebrate the dedication with gladness, with thanksgiving and with singing. They offered great sacrifices that day and rejoiced, for God had made them rejoice with great joy; the women and children also rejoiced. The joy of Jerusalem was heard far away. 

Dear friends let us have the joy of the Lord in our life. Do you want to receive the joy of the Lord in prayers? Do have you the joy of the Lord in doing his ministry?  Do you want to have the joy of the Lord in sharing gifts and good news with others? Like Nehemiah let us have the joy in the presence of God by praying for other’s betterment and welfare. Let us have the joy in doing his great task to rebuild the ruined society and peoples. Let us have joy in share our welfare and good news with anyone who has nothing. Let us find out the strength in the joy of the Lord. Friends if you are blessed with the joy of the Lord, kindly share with your friends and relatives and let me know your comments send to my email ID. revsjc@gmail.com, revsjc12@hotmail.com, johnchelliah857@yahoo.com,