Daily Devotional - "the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

Our Daily Devotional - For a long time, I treated joy like something I’d reach once life finally calmed down. Pay the bills. Fix the mess. Mend the relationships. Then—maybe—I could breathe and enjoy life. But Nehemiah 8 offers a deeper, richer perspective. It reminds us that joy is not a distant reward for perfect circumstances, but a gift God offers right in the middle of ordinary, messy lives.

Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord.

"Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”
— Nehemiah 8:10

Joy doesn’t wait for us to get everything together. It enters our struggles, our anxieties, and even our disappointments, calling us to notice God’s presence right here, right now.

In Nehemiah’s day, God’s people hear His Word after years of drifting—lost, scattered, and longing. As Ezra reads the law aloud, conviction sets in. The weight of failure and regret brings tears. The walls of Jerusalem have been rebuilt, but their hearts feel exposed and raw before God. If there was ever a moment where guilt and sorrow could have taken over, this was it.

Yet Nehemiah and the leaders give a surprising command. Instead of mourning, the people are told to go home, gather with family, eat the best food, drink something sweet, and share generously with anyone in need. They are told to stop grieving—not because their past doesn’t matter, but because God is doing something new.

“This day is holy… the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

The day is holy not because the people finally got everything right, but because God, in His mercy, has gathered them back to Himself and remains faithfully present among them. God’s holiness transforms an ordinary day into a sacred celebration.

The joy of the Lord is not denial. It does not ignore pain or pretend brokenness isn’t real. It is a deep, steady strength that comes from knowing God has not walked away—even when life is hard.

You don’t have to wait for a perfect day to experience that joy. Today, in the middle of whatever you’re facing, God invites you to trust His presence and draw strength from the joy He gives. Let this be your devotion: to believe that God is here—and that His presence, right now, is enough.