Coming face to face with our own sin is highly uncomfortable. Our most natural reaction to facing our own sin is to hide from God. In Nehemiah 8, when the people of Israel heard the law being read over them for the first time, they were deeply sorrowful. They felt this need to mourn and hide because they saw where they did not measure up. Yet, Nehemiah declared this day not to be a day of mourning, but a day holy to the Lord. He called the people to celebrate repentance. Because of the reality that God rejoices over those who repent, we, too, can experience joy in repentance. Repentance doesn’t have to lead to us hiding from God, but can become an opportunity to celebrate.
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