Rejoicing
Finding Joy
Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the LORD is your strength! Nehemiah 8:10 NLT
Nehemiah 8:10 is one of those extremely popular verses from the bible. I even have a sign with that saying in my kitchen. Let’s dig in and learn a little more about this to learn about joy…
Joy: The original Hebrew word for joy is also translated as rejoicing or gladness. I love the definition used in the New Testament. The Greek word often used for joy there (like in the fruit of the spirit) says that joy is a calm delight.
Strength: Here is where it gets good! This word in the original Hebrew is defined as: a fortified place; figuratively a defense: - force, fort (-ress), rock, strength. In the context of a story about building a wall of safety around a city, this definition shines a new light on “strength.”
Take a look at Nehemiah’s most famous line with fresh context
by replacing it with those definitions:
The calm delight of the Lord is your defense.
As we reframe our life, behaviors, and attitudes, we begin to experience a new outlook. Joy will come as we move from living with our brokenness into a brighter sense of freedom.
The picture above is of the empty tomb, believed to be the actual tomb Jesus occupied for 3 days.
The Garden Tomb, Jerusalem, Israel. 2015 © CindyRahm