Jack County Cowboy Church

We can’t move forward if we’re still beating ourselves up about the past. That’s the same lesson the Jews had learned in Nehemiah 8. The people were weeping and grieving over how far they had walked away from God. Have you ever felt that way? Ezra, a teacher of the law, and Nehemiah, the governor, said, “This day is holy to the Lord your God. Do not mourn or weep. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength, be still, for this is a holy day.” Nehemiah and Ezra weren’t giving the people permission to sin. Instead, they were redirecting the people’s focus: Stop focusing on how bad we are and start focusing on how great God is. No amount of grieving could undo the past. The people’s hearts were repentant, and it was time to move on. To think we can earn our way back into God’s good graces is prideful. To accept His undeserved forgiveness is faithful. When we make a bigger deal out of what we did than what Jesus did for us, we’ll spend our lives burdened by fear and shame. When we trust that Jesus’ sacrifice was enough, we receive abundant and everlasting grace. He really does love and forgive us. To operate in His strength is to choose His grace over our shame.