Through The Bible in a Year - May 13, 2026

"Do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength... And all the people went their way to eat and drink and send portions and to make great rejoicing because they had understood the words that were declared to them." - Nehemiah 8:10-12

After the people wept over their sin, and after they grieved the devastation their idolatry had caused, the nation’s leaders gave a surprising command: "Stop mourning. Eat the fat. Drink the sweet wine. Send portions to those who have nothing. Rejoice!"

Why? Because "the joy of the LORD is your strength."

This declaration wasn't denial of the people’s sin or minimizing consequences. It was recognition of a greater reality: God was still speaking to His people. He hadn't abandoned them. His Word was proof of His continuing love and care. And that truth—that God was with the people despite everything they had done and experienced—was cause for celebration.

So, they feasted. They shared with others. They rejoiced greatly "because they had understood the words that were declared to them." Understanding God's Word brought joy. And that joy gave them strength for whatever they would face now or in the future.

God's Word is described as "meat and drink" for His people—a feast, not a punishment. When we take in the nutrients of Scripture, when we see not just the commands but the heart behind them, when we understand that every word reveals a God who pursues us and loves us and provides for us—our hearts begin to swell with joy.

Think about a friend of mine named Sherri, a special-needs woman who couldn't speak but would write furiously during church services. At the end of church, she'd hand me papers covered with the same phrase repeated over and over: "God is love. God is love. God is love." That simple truth sustained her, and her loved ones, through a lifetime of disability. What Sherri and her family knew is that her disability was not her final chapter. When she went to the Lord who loved her, she would gain the ability to speak and praise God eternally.

The joy of the Lord isn't dependent on earthly circumstances. It comes from knowing who God is, how He feels about us, and the future he has prepared for us. Such knowledge provides joy that is the strength that carries us through tragedy, confusion, temptation, and darkness.

Our culture is drowning in darkness—mass shootings, addictions, unprecedented suicide rates, isolation, confusion about basic truths of who we are. So many are overwhelmed by loneliness. Young and old alike feel immersed in violence, rage and hatred through social media. The darkness is real.

But Christians can still sing and pray, "Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. When I am afraid, feel I have lost my way, there You are right beside me. Whom will I fear as long as You are near? Please be with me to the end."

In response to such prayers, God still answers in His Word, from the first page to the last: "I will be with you. I will never leave you nor forsake you."

Respond: Whatever you face this week—tragedy, temptation, confusion, or just the ordinary challenges of life—let God's Word be your light. And let the joy of knowing He's with you and for you for all eternity be your strength.

Prayer: Father, thank You for giving me Your Word—not as a burden but as a feast, not as obligation but as invitation. Help me to hunger for Scripture, to find joy in knowing You, to be strengthened by the truth that You will never leave me. When darkness surrounds me, remind me that Your Word is light. When I feel weak, remind me that the joy of knowing You and your eternal care is my strength. Feed me this week from the richness of Your Word. In Jesus' name, Amen.