To the Ends of the Earth: Character – Week 9, Day 3 - We Are Commanded to Make the Way Straight
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And they read from the book, from the law of God, clearly; and they gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading. And Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, “This day is holy to the LORD your God; do not mourn or weep.” For all the people wept when they heard the words of the law. Then he said to them, “Go your way, eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to him for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord; and do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”
Nehemiah 8:8–10
Here is the simple truth: life can be very difficult. We often feel overwhelmed by the burdens of living. The evil in the world, the hurts we have experienced, and our own sinful failures cause us to feel hopeless. These things can lead us to take our eyes off Jesus and the victory he won for us on the cross. Simply put, we forget that we have won! We allow the burdens of life to weigh us down with grief. If we cast off the burdens of this world, laying them before the throne of heaven, we will discover the same joy that propelled our Lord to face the cross and endure its shame.
True, the message of the Gospel should lead us to weep for our sins and to repent of all our wrongdoing. But weeping is not the end for us. It is the first step that leads us to lasting joy.
As we release our sin to the Divine Physician, we receive the healing that allows us to take up our cross and follow our Lord to the victory that lies beyond the cross. Today, celebrate the victory that is ours through the eternal, perfect love of Jesus Christ. Do not weep, but rejoice in Jesus, our strength!
Questions for Reflection
What are some of the burdens that weigh you down and cause you grief?
What holds you back from releasing those burdens and experiencing the joy of victory?
How can you bring the comfort and joy of Christ’s victory to another man today?
Praying with Scripture
O LORD, you have brought up my soul from Sheol,
restored me to life from among those gone down to the Pit.
Sing praises to the LORD, O you his saints,
and give thanks to his holy name. (Ps 30:3–4)
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Mark C. McCann is an author and Ministry Consultant with more than 30 years of writing and ministry experience. He has published articles for a number of Catholic magazines and websites including St. Anthony Messenger, Emmanuel Magazine, Liguorian Magazine, Catholic Stand, the Connecticut Catholic Men's Conference, and Homiletic and Pastoral Review. He recently published the 4-volume Catholic men's devotional, To the Ends of the Earth, as well as the 2021 Advent Daybreaks devotional and 2022 Lenten Daybreaks devotional with Liguori Publishing. He has also released his End Times novel series, Jacob's Dream: The Vision and Jacob's Dream: The Final Battle. He was a radio host and producer for 8 years at a Connecticut Christian radio station and has worked as a Catholic religion teacher/campus minister and a parish youth minister. He has also served the Norwich, CT Diocese as a Youth Ministry Director and Family Life Director. He currently lives in Connecticut with his Proverbs 31 wife, where together they have brought up three incredible children. He strives each day to live out his call to be a man of words. You can learn more about Mark and his writing at www.wordsnvisions.com.
