In the chapter before us, we read of Ezra the priest and scribe reading the Book of the Law to the children of Israel, who were captives in Babylon. However, they returned to Jerusalem to rebuild the wall of the temple—that is, Solomon’s temple.

Many of them had never heard the reading of the Law of the Lord, as they were born in captivity. So, from morning to noonday, Ezra stood reading aloud to the people, while the Levites moved through the crowd, explaining and translating difficult Hebrew passages into Aramaic, because Hebrew was no longer their native language. Hearing the mighty acts and power of God on behalf of Israel caused mixed emotions.

The people mourned and wept because they were made aware of their sins. They were also joyful because they understood God’s Word, which brought a sweet source of joy. The joy they experienced was the joy of the Lord, and it became their strength—strength to go forward in obedience to the Lord, strength to keep the feast as written in the Law of the Lord, and strength to confess and forsake their sinful ways.

The joy they experienced was a direct result of hearing the Word of God. Thus, Ezra admonished them not to sorrow, because the joy of the Lord was their strength.

Because the concept of God as our strength is a recurring theme throughout the Bible, today we, as believers in Christ, experience the joy of the Lord as our strength as well.

This joy is a powerful source of strength that enables us to conquer sin, conquer the lies, accusations, fears, and doubts that come from the enemy. The Bible says in Isaiah 59:19, “So shall they fear the name of the Lord from the west, and His glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him,” put him to flight, so to speak.

As believers, we are assured that our enemies will be met with the irresistible strength and power of God’s Spirit. On Sunday past, Pastor Beverly reminded us that our strength is mere performance. It is inconsistent, divided, and self-focused.

In our own strength, we can do nothing, as noted in John 15:5. But we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us, as mentioned in Philippians 4:13.

So how do we draw this strength from God?

Number one: through daily prayer. Philippians 4:6 admonishes us to be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, we are to let our requests be made known to God in prayer.

Number two: we draw strength through reading and obeying the Word of God. Psalm 119:105 says, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” Psalm 119:11 states, “Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You.”

Number three: we draw strength from the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit, who is our Helper. Acts 1:8 says, “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Number four: strength is gained through fellowship with the saints. Hebrews 10:24–25 admonishes us: “Let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.”

Last but never least, we draw strength through worship and praise.

Colossians 3:16 says, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.” We praise Him for what He has done, and we worship Him for who He is.

Thus, we draw strength from the Lord. God’s divine strength sustains us in times of trouble. It guides us in our daily lives, and it empowers us to fulfill God’s purpose for our lives.

Let’s not allow the enemy to steal our joy, because if he does, we will not have the divine strength to conquer the enemy when he comes in like a flood. Let’s not forget that the enemy’s pleasure, his job, and his intent is to steal, to kill, and to destroy—to steal what rightfully belongs to us: our joy, our peace, our contentment. He’ll kill our spirit and our drive, our fight and strength. And then he’ll destroy our reputation and our relationship with the Lord.

Nevertheless, when we feel our strength is gone, we must— we must— depend on the Lord, because God is our ultimate strength and source of strength. He will renew our strength, and He will cause us to mount up with wings as eagles. We shall run and not be weary. We shall walk and not faint. Thank God for renewed strength.

When our strength is weak, His strength is strong. He will carry us when we cannot carry on.

In conclusion, I’d like to share a poem by Deborah Ann Belka that seems to sum up the thought for this morning. This is what it says:

When you’re feeling faint,
When you’re feeling weary,
When your burdens are too much for you to carry,
That’s when you need to go to the Lord for His power.
He will supply you with fresh energy for the hour.

When you’re feeling frail,
When you’re feeling defeated,
When life has left you feeling spiritually depleted,
That’s when you need to go to the Lord in earnest prayer.
His strength you will find is waiting for you there.

When you’re feeling weak,
When you’re not feeling strong,
Ask God to increase your strength before yours is all gone.
“But God gives power to the faint,
And to those who have no might He increases strength.”
And that’s Isaiah 40 and 29.

Be encouraged God’s strength is made perfect in our weakness. Let the joy of the Lord be your strength.

Shall we pray?

Father, we thank You. We thank You for Your Word, for indeed it is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. Father, help us to hide Your Word in our hearts that we might not sin against You.

Help us to pray, O God, to find ourselves in communion with You. O God, help us to find ourselves in Your Word so that we can draw strength from prayer, draw strength from Your Word, draw strength, O God, from fellowship one with another, draw strength, O God, from worship and praising and singing songs and making melody in our hearts to You.

O God, in times of trouble, in times when we feel weak, in times when we feel like throwing in the towel, God, I pray that we will draw on Your strength, because in You we are strong. Your strength is made perfect in our weakness. So may we draw on Your strength daily, O God—daily—so that we can fulfill the purpose that You have created us for.

We thank You, O God, for Your strength. We thank You for Your power. We thank You, O God, for carrying us when we are not strong.

You have been good. You have been gracious. You have been long-suffering. And You love us with an everlasting love, and we thank You for that. We thank You for Your Word that encourages us, that strengthens us.

In Jesus’ name, we thank You. Amen. Amen. Amen.