“And on that day they offered great sacrifices, rejoicing because God had given them great joy. The women and children also rejoiced. The sound of rejoicing in Jerusalem could be heard far away.”
– Nehemiah 12:43
In Christ, not only are we grafted in as daughters of the King, but we also inherit a joy that supersedes any and all circumstances. Nehemiah 8:10 reminds us that the joy of the Lord is our strength.
Although grief and loss have been a frequent companion of mine these past ten years, I can confidently say that my life has been marked by joy. A joy that makes no sense to the naked eye. A joy that has even been questioned by others as whether it was real or not. A joy that even the enemy has tried to convince me was a “glass is half full” personality trait versus a true and lasting joy given to me by God.
We will all encounter seasons of hardship, disappointment, betrayal, and loss at some point in our lives. Pain is guaranteed. The Bible tells us that the rain falls on the evil and the good (See Matthew 5:45). While we don’t always get to choose what we lose, we can decide now how we will respond when that day comes.
There has been much pain and hardship all throughout the book of Nehemiah, but as we come to the end, specifically Nehemiah 12:43, we see the word joy multiple times. Thank you, Lord! This verse is such an encouragement to me and a great reminder to continue to pray for those in our lives who are suffering.
As you walk through pain you have the attention of those around you. As my pastor has not only preached, but lived out himself, “pain is a microphone.” It’s true, people tend to get quiet around those who are hurting. Many people are even at a loss for words and the silence becomes excruciatingly loud at times. It’s in these moments that we can ask the Lord for joy. Instead of wishing our problems away, ask Him to strengthen your shoulders to carry out His sovereign plan for your life. There’s no circumstance in our lives that is unknown to Him.
I believe that worship is our weapon and gratitude is an equally important weapon to keep close to our hearts.
Committing yourself to joy and gratitude in the face of disappointment will change your life. Your circumstances may or may not change, but your heart and your perspective will.
While I was going through my divorce, I was living in the marital home and was unable to move on and move out until the home sold. I didn’t have the financial resources to make the changes I desperately wanted to make in that season. Little did I know that I would remain in that house for an entire year after the divorce was finalized. It felt like a lifetime. Having to live in the home where we were once a family and now weren’t was difficult. We ate meals around the same dinner table and I slept in the same bed—but life was drastically different. I could not control my circumstance, but I could take ownership of my perspective and heart posture.
Every single night my children would hear me pray, “Lord, thank you for the roof over our head. I know you have something for us and we wait with great expectation. Thank you for taking care of us.” My children eventually prayed similar prayers out loud, and we did this together every night of the year.
And just as God typically works, suddenly, I received an email from my realtor that the house had a full-price offer on it. I immediately went online, and the home we are living in today was the first home that popped up in my search that day. It was just listed after being built during the previous nine months.
In our waiting, God was building.
Needless to say, we rejoiced!!!
And we are still rejoicing!
Our worship is loud and our story has been told over and over—and it’s an honor to share this with you today.
My then seven year old son coined the phrase, which I use as a hashtag online: #GodBuiltUsAHouse
I want our story—the story of God’s faithfulness and goodness—to be heard.
We don’t have to wait for life to be good to rejoice.
Pray for joy. And rejoice for all to hear.
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