Nehemiah 8:10b Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is
your strength.
As I read these verses in chapter 8 I realized that the
leaders told the people over and over not to grieve. Why?
The Book of the Law was being read to them for evidently the first time
in a long time. As they heard, the
people were beginning to understand it anew and recognize their spiritual
need. Verse 9 says they began weeping as
they heard it. So Nehemiah and the
Levites were comforting them. It is as
though they were saying, “The past is done with. You have made a new commitment to God so do
not dwell on the past.” Verse 12 says
the people celebrated with great joy because they now understood God’s
words. Our strength to face the future
comes from our joy of forgiveness. Our
past failures do not have to cripple us as we move forward. The past is just that … passed. Our forgiven sin is over, forgiven and
forgotten by God. We can face new
tomorrows freely and joyfully. No
regrets.
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