“This day is sacred to the Lord your God. Do not mourn or weep.” For all the people had been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law. (Neh 8:9b)
The people were weeping in repentance as they heard the law read which they had so long forgotten. No doubt there were tears of deep regret and a sense of loss for all the years they had not walked in the Lord’s ways. True repentance is often associated with tears. This is good and right. But God doesn’t want us to remain there. If we continue to mope and cry we are looking backward and not forward. God has separated us from our sin as far as the east is from the west. We are new creatures in Christ; why do we continue to mourn? Nehemiah commanded the people to “celebrate with great joy” and we should do the same. Lord, forgive me for clinging to my sin when you have cast it away and for dwelling on my regrets when you have a bright future prepared for us. Help me to truly accept your forgiveness and truly trust in your sovereignty – to set my face toward the future and not the past.
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