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WELCOME Back to Finishing Well… Week of 4/14/24 Devo #3 “Following Well…..the Celebration of God’s People” / Nehemiah 8:9-12 Trusting it’s been a good week for you since our last devotional teaching. We’re continuing this first monthly series called “Following Well”, from Nehemiah 8. As I’m writing here on Saturday morning, the sun has come out quite in contrast to the past few rainy days. I’m wrestling with the decision to mow or not, risking making ruts in the yard since it’s been so wet, but the sunshine is welcomed whether I “mow now or bale later”! Let’s review our first 2 weeks in Nehemiah. What a great leader who stepped up to prepare a place for the Jews coming home to Jerusalem back from years of exile in foreign countries. God protects and provides (as only He can) and the walls are rebuilt in 52 days, despite fierce opposition. Ezra reads from the Book of the Law of God and people’s hearts are deeply touched and tears are shed. Priests fully explain God’s Word to people in small groups and there is great understanding for the first time in a long time! Thus our first 2 weeks have been entitled, the “ELEVATION of God’s Word” and the “EXPLANATION of God’s Word”. Now for the “CELEBRATION of God’s people” this week. Let’s look at the passage…. Nehemiah 8:9-12 (NLT) “Then Nehemiah, the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites, who were interpreting for the people said to them, ‘Don’t mourn or weep on such a day as this! For today is a sacred day before the Lord your God.’ For the people had all been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law. And Nehemiah continued, ‘Go and celebrate with a feast of rich foods and sweet drinks and share gifts of food with people who have nothing prepared. This is a sacred day before our Lord. Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength!’ And the Levites, too, quieted the people, telling them, ‘Hush! Don’t weep! For this is a sacred day.’ So the people went away to eat and drink at a festive meal, to share gifts of food, and to celebrate with great joy because they had heard God’s words and understood them.” OK, the sun has come out for the folks in Jerusalem on this day, like it has for us here today, but it’s not time to mow the yard like it is for me….it’s time to CELEBRATE….and to do it together! There are times in our lives that we quit crying and start smiling and sometimes that change can happen quickly. Good news can follow bad news or the fear of an expected disaster can be avoided and joyful relief sets in with a big, “WHEW”! In this passage, there have been tears of repentance & broken spirits as the people have listened to the heart of God being read and spoken over them. They have felt it all together. They’re mourning the distance they feel between them and God. But Nehemiah and his spiritual leaders interrupt their grief. I remember listening to a Bob Russell cassette tape (that’ll take you back a bit…and yes I still have quite a few) back in the 80’s when “styles of worship” were controversial and unfortunately divisive in many churches. There were the clappers & non-clappers, hand-wavers & the stand-stillers, and of course the “hymn-lovers” vs. the new chorus people. Most every church lived with those tensions ashamedly. I remember even being asked to be on a panel discussion of a workshop called, “Worship Wars”, and I thought, how far the mighty have fallen! Anyway, back to Bob….he has always had a great way of clarifying matters, and he said simply on this occasion to “always remember that worship is a balance of 2 things….reverence and celebration”. Thank God we have come such a long ways the past 30 years, but some of us remember walking that fine line long ago. Nehemiah’s encouragement for the people to “celebrate” with a healthy attitude of worship & fellowship might seem a little abrupt at first, but joyful celebration is always to follow in our time of sadness at some point. The Bible says that “sorrow lasts for a night, but joy comes in the morning”. Now Nehemiah and his friends tells us why, in 3 ways, if you can see it in the text. He says… 1) the “JOY of the Lord is our strength”, so there’s a time for tears to stop…. 2) “FEASTING & SHARING with others” is our honor and privilege… 3) and all this is because (vs 12b) “they had HEARD God’s words and UNDERSTOOD them”. For the Jewish people, returning to their city involved getting settled in to their homes, but it also called for settling in to a worship and fellowship pattern & discipline. When God’s Word is elevated…..and then explained…..and our distance from Him is adequately grieved as we are reminded of His purity and holiness (and our lack of those things)….then it’s time to celebrate together! Repentant hearts are ALWAYS welcomed by the presence of God. David says in Psalm 51, that “a broken & contrite heart, O Lord, you will not despise”! And that is what “hearing and understand” brings. Tears followed by great joy! And all throughout our lives, we experience that cycle, much like the end of the gospels and the beginning of the Book of Acts. • The SADNESS of the Crucifixion….followed by the JOY of the Resurrection. • The SADNESS of the Ascension…..followed by the JOY of the Day of Pentecost with the coming of the Holy Spirit and the birth of the Church. • The SADNESS of the lying of Ananias & Sapphira …..followed by the JOY of the many signs, wonders & healing done by the apostles shortly thereafter. • The SADNESS of the stoning of Stephen in Acts 7…..followed by the JOY of Acts 8:4 after the persecution that followed when, “the believers who were scattered, preached the Good News about Jesus wherever they went.” And maybe there’s been some sadness in your life recently….and you’re awaiting the joy only the Lord can bring. There will be both….over and over…in most of our lives. That is why Paul tells the Romans in chapter 12 to “rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep”. If we’re going to “finish well”, we’ve got to learn to “follow well”. And the truth is, we’re gonna need to help each. It begins with the elevating & explaining God’s Word. And it’s followed by joyful celebration. May we keep elevating His Word daily & celebrate EVERY time we come together in His name! So be ready to catch some tears of your friends….it’s normal, healthy & holy. And may they hear your voice sing out nearby….for the JOY of the Lord is our strength! Love you folks…. george
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