Joy Reader: Jon Watson Date: 3rd December 2022 Passage: Nehemiah 8:10 ------------------- Many people think that joy and Christianity don't often go together. Christians may be looked on as killjoys, austere, judgemental and unattractive characters. Maybe we have ourselves to blame for that. That however is not how it should be — it is not the Bible's portrait of a Christian. The Bible tells us that God is a God of joy (Psalm 104:31) and that there is joy in his presence (Psalm 16:11). Christian people share in this joy because they have confessed their sins, repented of them and have received mercy and forgiveness from God himself so they share in this joy — joy that is "inexpressible and full of glory" (1 Peter 1:8). If joy is missing from our faith then we really have some serious thinking to do. A joyless Christian has been described as 'a libel on his Master' because we have forgotten all that he has done for our salvation. God rejoices in his believing people and we rejoice in God and should be 'an Allelujah from head to foot' as one of the early Christians said! PrayerDear Lord, forgive me when my life has been so preoccupied by worldly concerns that I have not rejoiced in the God of my salvation. Amen.