Monday, 11th April 2022: Turn your grief into praise!

Scripture Reading: Nehemiah 8:10
Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength.

Reflections: It was a thanksgiving day for Israel. The broken walls had been rebuilt. However, thoughts of the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple which led to their Babylonian captivity began to flash through the minds of the people. Nehemiah quickly discerned that these thoughts would generate grief in their hearts, so he moved into action. He helps them turn their grief into praise with the words ‘ neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength’. To grieve is to have an intense feeling of sorrow. This tends to break you further down emotionally and sap every resilience in you.
On the other hand, praising God like Nehemiah taught the people divinely works to activate and increase their inner strength. By this, you are motivated to carry on in life. Truly praise is the way out of grief. Paul and Silas followed this principle in prison ( Acts 16:25). Just turn every grief into praise- you will receive divine strength to carry on!

Prayer: Oh Lord, give me the grace to turn any grieving moment in my life into praise.

Confession: The joy of The Lord is my strength. Praise shall, therefore, not cease flowing from my lips!