People Of Celebration And Joy

Nehemiah 8:9-12

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! (Nehemiah 8:10)

WHETHER DESERVED OR NOT, Puritans had a reputation for being dour people incapable of having fun. Lutherans were known as a contentious lot, and Jesuits were known for being harsh and demanding. In fact, self-professed Christians down through the ages have had reputations, usually some form of a stereotype that, perhaps, fit in some cases but certainly not all. Even so, there is something to be said for being known as “a people of [fill in the blank].” When one particular characteristic stands out, you know you’ve embodied it well.

Christians are to be known for a lot of positive things—being a people of love, humility, and kindness, for example. We’ll explore some of these in the next few days, but we have to admit, we often are not known for having the attributes of Jesus. We are both fairly and unfairly stereotyped, and the result is an image we may wish we didn’t have. When that happens, there’s only one way to change it. We have to present the true image—the real image we were given long ago and that is being restored to us even now. We are to express the nature of God in the real situations and relationships of daily life. We are to be known as a people of all things good.

One of those characteristics is joy and celebration. Nehemiah and the Levites made the point that “sacred” and sadness did not go hand in hand. Nowhere in Scripture are we told that dignity, sober-mindedness, or fiery zeal is our strength. But joy is. When we live in it, our relationships grow closer, and others are drawn to the image of God. People who don’t know him get a taste of his Kingdom. We can bring the joy of heaven into the sadness of earth in almost any situation. Life doesn’t get any more sacred than that.

{Lord, turn my heart toward the joy of your Kingdom. Let me see beyond my own agendas, needs, and pains to celebrate the extravagance of an eternity filled with your love. And let that celebration bring heaven into earth each day. Amen.