Head: Know God's Word | Heart: Love God | Hands: Follow God's Way 

Read Nehemiah 8:1-12

Head 

Our next Bible story about joy is from Nehemiah 8:1-12. 

Nehemiah was a governor of the people and Ezra was their priest. The people were gathered in Jerusalem as the rebuilding of the walls around the city had been completed. As the people gathered, they asked Ezra to read from the Book of the Law, which was the first 5 books of the Bible or what is known to the Jewish people as the Torah. They were coming together to listen to the words of God on how to live their life for Him. They wanted to praise God for bringing them back to their land and for His protection. In return, they wanted to thank Him by rededicating their lives to following Him.

So, what does this Bible story have to do with joy? I believe it is telling us that even when the hard times come and eventually end, we should still praise the Lord with joyful hearts, acknowledging Him for His faithfulness and His grace. Joy is telling God "Thank You" for always being there for us even when we are not always faithful to Him. Thankfulness is a form of joy because it trusts that even through hard times, God never leaves us and never stops loving us. That alone should be enough reason for us to have joy! 

Heart 

Have you ever been through a hard or sad time? Many things come to mind, but one example is when I lost a beloved dog to old age. The hurt is so real, but if I only focus on the pain or sadness of it, then I won’t have joy in my life. But when I mourn for my lost pet and thank God for allowing me the privilege of having my dog, my sadness gets smaller, and my joy grows bigger. Why? Because no matter what happens in my life, God loves me and wants me to trust Him with everything. God wants me to realize my joy can only come from Him. And when I focus on that blessing, I can have true joy no matter what happens. He will always care for me no matter what. 

Hands 

So, is it easy to have joy in hard times? Not always. But we must learn to focus on the One who makes all things better for us. God can start to turn our frown upside down if we do a few simple acts of worship. What are they you ask? The same things the people in Nehemiah did. Read our Bible, praise and worship God for all He has done for us, and remember how He has helped us get through our hard times. 

“Ezra praised the Lord, the great God; and all the people lifted their hands and responded, “Amen! Amen!” Then they bowed down and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground.” (Nehemiah 8:6) 

The people acknowledged God as the great God and then with humility, meaning they realized how much they needed God, they bowed down to him. They knew they needed to stay close to God and follow His ways to have joy in their lives. Then, they celebrated that they had a great God who loved them and watched over them when they chose His ways over their ways. 

Make a thank you journal of all the things God has done and all the things He promises to do! 

Prayer: Thank You, Lord, for always being there for me, through hard times and good times. Help me never to stop praising You for how good You are especially when things are going well. Help me to remember during the hard times to stay close to You, because without You it will be impossible to see the good in any situation. Lord, today we praise You for Your faithfulness, Your grace, and Your mercy for us. Lord, we can’t thank You enough for what You have done and will continue to do for us, but we can choose to follow You wholeheartedly and that’s what we choose today. In Jesus’s name, Amen.