Devotion 29 January 2026

The joy of the Lord is my strength. Nehemiah 8: 10

READING: Proverbs 31: 10-31

We know from Ephesians 2:10 that God has set aside good works for us all to do. We all have a ministry that God intended for us as part of his beautiful, detailed plan for our life. But how can we embrace that, when we feel so far short of the perfect person?

The ‘Proverbs 31 Woman’ is a comprehensive description of an ideal, godly woman, a woman whose “price is above rubies”.

At the end of the description of the perfect woman, we read, “She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future.” Proverbs 31:25

This is who God wants us to be.

The original Hebrew word for strength used here, “`oz”, implies all forms of strength, not just physical, but emotional, political and social strength too. It includes references to boldness. Beautifully this word cross-references with Exodus 15:2, Miriam’s song after God parted the sea for the Israelites, “The Lord is my strength and my song; he has given me victory. This is my God, and I will praise him - my father’s God, and I will exalt him!”.

These are extraordinary descriptions of women from the Old Testament at a time when women were considered to be secondary to men, reiterating how God values all persons, regardless of social norms.

Of course, the Lord is our strength and our agency. It is He who goes before us, He who parts the seas. No matter what lies ahead for us let this be our position. We do not have to drum up strength from within, we do not have to wager for agency. We are clothed with strength, agency and boldness from the Lord. He is our strength and our song.

In Nehemiah 8:10 we read “The joy of the Lord is my strength”. Living in the companionship of Jesus gives us access to deep wells of joy and blessed assurance. And like peace, fear cannot be where there is joy. So let us embrace the work that the Lord has given us to do and laugh at the days to come.

Prayer

Lord, You are my strength, and my song. I praise You; You are my joy and my peace. I thank You. Amen