The Secret of Joyful Living
"And there was very great rejoicing."
52 days. In one of the greatest feats of leadership ever recorded, Nehemiah led his people to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem in just 52 days. This physical rebuilding led to a spiritual renaissance and revival among God's people. Of course these things are blessings in and of themselves. With the walls rebuilt, the people could now build their spiritual foundation.
To do this, God's people laid down their trowels and picked up the Bible. In Nehemiah 8, Ezra, the scribe, leads the people in hearing and understanding God's law. As Nehemiah and Ezra explained the law the people heard things they had never heard before. They realized that Israel's neglect and rejection of God's law was the reason for the destruction of Jerusalem. This caused the people to weep with sorrow and repentance.
Out of this genuine repentance the people began to obey God once again. As they read God's instructions they began to put them into practice. They began observing the feasts and worship practices that they had neglected out of ignorance. That leads us to Nehemiah 8:17: "And there was very great rejoicing."
This is perhaps one of the most underrated results of Nehemiah's leadership. He led the people into obedience which resulted in great joy. Even among the people of God, joy is too rare a character quality these days. We have plenty of criticism and complaining and fear but not enough joy. Perhaps that is because joy is a byproduct of obedience. This is one of the great secrets of the Christian life. Great joy comes from obeying the Lord.
Do you want to walk in greater joy? Walk in greater obedience. Look for ways to obey the Lord this week and you will grow in joy.