Then he said to them, "Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the LORD is your strength."
Nehemiah 8:10

Nehemiah 8 is one of my favorite chapters in the Old Testament. It is probably because I am a preacher and the chapter is about preaching. Great stuff! I was particularly struck this time through by the people’s response to the preaching. The people were cut to the heart by the preaching. They wept, partly because they were hearing the Word of God, with which many of them were no doubt unfamiliar. The wept due to conviction since they were hearing the Law.

Nehemiah then comforted the people saying the day on which we hear God’s Word preached, is to be a day of rejoicing. Yes, we are convicted, but we are also comforted by the message of God’s grace in the gospel!

In addition, Nehemiah exhorted the people to share food with those who have none prepared.

We can do this by remembering to give to benevolence.
We can also do this by making it a point to (a) Attend the monthly lunch prayer meeting (every 4th Sunday), and (b) by bringing food to share before prayer.
We can do this by faithfully attending our Home Fellowships and bringing food to share.
We can do this by inviting someone from church for lunch or even dinner on a Sunday afternoon of evening. (Try inviting someone you have never had a meal with!)

Sunday: It is a day of conviction, rejoicing, and eating together!