Episode 175: Too Busy for Joy? (Neh. 12:1-43)

Joy has not vanished; we have often been moving so fast that we miss the moments where God is inviting us to experience it. We slow down, define biblical joy, and learn from Nehemiah why celebrating God’s faithfulness helps joy stick.

• missing meaningful moments due to exhaustion and constant rushing
• real-life busyness and the hidden belief that we do not have time
• giving ourselves permission to pause and enjoy what is good
• defining biblical joy as deep contentment rooted in God
• Nehemiah 12 and the dedication of the wall as a model of chosen celebration
• telling stories and marking God’s work as a way to keep joy alive
• practical examples like finishing the coffee and staying present at the birthday

I've attached a permission slip in the show notes. If you're like me and need a reminder that it's okay to pause and take in the joy, I encourage you to download the slip, fill it out, and post it where you'll be reminded.

https://betsymarvin.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/permission-slip-for-eps.-175.jpg

A christian podcast centered on Jesus, the Bible, and God explores faith through the Old Testament and New Testament, sharing Bible stories and Bible explained insights to help women of faith and Jesus followers grow in faith, strengthen their relationship with God, and know God more deeply through Bible study, women Bible study, and practical christianity, all while encouraging spiritual growth, understanding identity in christ, and learning to understand Bible teachings to become closer to God.

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Transcript

When Joy Starts To Fade

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Have you ever missed a moment that you just couldn't take back? Not because you didn't care, but because you were just too tired or too busy. Hi friends, I'm Betsy, and I want to welcome you to Moments to Ponder. If you're interested in learning more from the Bible but sometimes struggle to know how it connects to your everyday life, you've come to the right place. This podcast is designed for those that struggle with shame, belonging, and feelings of not being enough to finally understand how to apply the Bible into your life so that you can live confidently alongside Jesus in your home, work, and relationships. In this episode, we'll talk about why so many of us feel like joy has faded. Not because it's gone, but because we've been moving so fast, we haven't noticed it. We'll see how we don't usually lose joy, we rush, and we miss the moments where God is inviting us to experience it. When we stop and tell stories, we mark God's faithfulness, and that's when joy settles deeper and stays. Welcome. This is episode 175. When I was in high school, I was given the opportunity to go to the Holy Land. For two weeks we traveled all over from Galilee to Bethlehem, spending the most time in Jerusalem. One night, our leader offered to take a few of us out into the city, but I was so tired. I decided to stay back at the hotel and just go to bed. In the morning, I discovered that they had gone on top of the walls of Jerusalem and looked out over the city. It was a memory they would never forget. And I missed it. I didn't miss it because I didn't care. I missed it because I was tired. As a mom, I've missed so many more moments because of this. And I've missed others because I didn't allow myself to just enjoy what was happening. I felt like I needed to make sure the kitchen was tidied up, or I had to get that email out, or there was just something on my to-do list, and I felt I had to get to it. No one told me I couldn't take time or enjoy moments, but somehow I had convinced myself that I just didn't have time. And as with many of you, it soon felt like the tasks outweighed everything else, and my heart was heavy with it. Over time, it felt like joy just disappeared. The truth is, we don't lose joy, we rush past it. It's not that joy isn't there. I mean, how many moments have you rushed past because you just felt you had to do something else? There's just too much to do to sit around and savor that cup of coffee or spend an extra few minutes on a call with a friend. It's so easy to let the to-dos rule our lives, and soon our lives can feel joyless. So I literally gave myself permission to make space to enjoy moments a few years ago. I mean, I did. I even had a permission slip on my wall. It's still there, and it reminds me I can take the time. And you know what? I discovered that in taking the time for joy, I still got everything else done, but I wasn't as tired or frenzied or even overwhelmed in the process. Somehow making moments for enjoying joy helped me with everything else. Dear one, joy isn't something we stumble into. It's something that we make space for. All Christ's followers have joy, it's a fruit of the spirit. Yet so many of us would probably say that we haven't felt it in a while. And I wonder if it's because we misunderstand what joy actually is. The kind of joy we're talking about isn't a quick, happy moment you squeeze in between to-dos. That's temporary. Biblical joy is a deep-seated contentment and calm delight rooted in God's presence, grace, and promises rather than in temporary circumstances. And it's the kind of joy that God speaks of that is in his presence, that even when grief and hard times come, there's a knowing of something deeper. It's the stability of his love and grace, it's the wonder of forgiveness and a future, it's everlasting love that never wavers, it's a fruit of his presence, deep-seated contentment and calm delight rooted in God. This kind of joy isn't rushed, it's experienced. And this is exactly what we see in Nehemiah 12. Not just that the work was done, but joy being experienced. In the beginning of chapter 12, Nehemiah shares another list. It's the lineage of priests and Levites from the time of Zerubbabel all the way to Ezra. It's there to serve as a reminder of why all this has taken place. Worship at the temple. Without the Levites and priests, the sacrifices couldn't be offered, which were a key element in their relationship with God. These priests, proven by the lineage list, purified the wall and dedicated it, allowing the holiness of God to be restored into Jerusalem. So we'll pick up the story in verse 27. For the dedication of the new wall of Jerusalem, the Levites throughout the land were asked to come to Jerusalem to assist in the ceremonies. Nehemiah doesn't clarify timing here. It could be right after chapter 11's events or later. Whatever time is passed, Nehemiah has called everyone together to celebrate all the work they have done. It's time to dedicate these walls, not only to formally set them apart as important, but to formally acknowledge God's hand upon their city. Let's continue. Levites throughout the land were asked to come to Jerusalem to assist in the ceremonies. They were to take part in the joyous occasion with their songs of thanksgiving and with the music of cymbals, harps, and lyres. The singers were brought together from the region around Jerusalem and from the villages of the Nataphelites. They also came from Beth Gilgal and the rural areas near Giba and Azmof. For the singers had built their own settlements around Jerusalem. The priests and Levites first purified themselves, then they purified the people, the gates, and the wall. We can see here that they didn't just finish the work, they're preparing to celebrate it. It's the final act in their project. People traveled, choirs learned songs, and the priests and Levites purified people and places. And then in verse 31, I, meaning Nehemiah, led the leaders of Judah to the top of the wall and organized two large choirs to give thanks. One of the choirs proceeded southward along the top of the wall to the dung gate. They used the musical instruments prescribed by David, the man of God. Ezra the scribe led this procession. At the fountain gate, they went straight up the steps to the ascent of the city wall toward the city of David. They passed the house of David and then proceeded to the water gate on the east. The second choir, giving thanks, went northward around the other way to meet them. I followed them, together with the other half of the people along the top of the wall, past the Tower of Evans to the broad wall, then past the Ephraim Gate to the Old City Gate, past the fish gate and the tower of Hanel, and on to the Tower of the Hundred. Then we continued on to the sheep gate and stopped at the guard gate. Alright, so we need to picture the map of our city again and visualize this. The crowd has gathered at the Dung Gate, which is the southernmost tip of the city, with two large choirs, one that's going to go east-northeast, the other is going to go northwest, as they begin basically a large parade. And as they both head northward, one led by Ezra and one has Nehemiah, they're walking on top of the walls that have come to encircle their city, all rebuilt. And they have their instruments blaring and their choir robes are swaying and they're singing at the top of their lungs. I mean, imagine it. Music, children running around, smiles and laughter as the two choirs lead the way on top of the wall, and the others follow behind or below. They're walking the very places where they had poured in their sweat and effort, moving stones and pulling rubble away, where they worked with a sword in one hand and a rock in the other. This wall stood as a testimony to what God had done for and through them. Verse 40. The two choirs that were giving thanks then proceeded to the temple of God, where they took their places. So did I, together with the group of leaders who were with me. We went together with the trumpet-playing priests. They played and sang loudly under the direction of Jeresiah, the choir director. I mean, what a moment this is. They've come to the temple where they're going to worship, which is the purpose of this whole project, and it's coming to life. The walls are in place, the work is finished, and now it's time to take in the worship. Nehemiah just didn't finish the wall and move on. He had the next thing to do on his list. He stops, makes space, and celebrates along with all the people. Verse 43. Many sacrifices were offered on that joyous day, for God had given the people cause for great joy. The women and children also participated in the celebration, and the joy of the people of Jerusalem could be heard far away. For me, this is the key verse in the chapter. This joyous day. The word here for joy is shemha, which means rejoicing, for God had given the people cause for great joy. And it was so loud and so full that it could be really heard far, far away. I live a few blocks from our local high school football stadium. And during the season, we can hear the band and the crowd as they cheer on their team. And I kind of wonder if it sounded a bit like that. Roars of joy and clapping and music. This passage is reminding us that joy isn't just squeezed in, it's chosen. They could have just moved into the city and began life, occasionally looking at the walls and remembering what they'd done, but instead they took time to celebrate what God had done. How often do we do the opposite? We finish the thing, check the box, and move right on to the next. I mean, I'm guilty of this. I can easily forget to take the time to celebrate what's been done because I'm ready to move on to the next thing. We ate the cake, so let's get it cleaned up. I know the coffee's only half gone, but my mind is already on the next thing I have to do. Yeah, I know God was at work, sure, but I have curriculum to get done. But what if you ate the cake and then sat down and took joy in the birthday moment? What if you actually finished the coffee and acknowledged the joy of friendship? What if God's stories were the point? I've learned over the years how incredibly important it is to take time to recognize God's work and tell the stories. Tishes can wait. Emails can wait. It's enjoying the conversation, stopping to take in the stars, or taking that quiet time that we step into moments. Because when we don't, we don't just miss them, we miss the joy God placed in them. In Jerusalem, God's people celebrated God's work by taking time for joy. And this is our application. Remembering what God has done is what keeps joy alive. Yes, I missed a moment on the walls of Jerusalem when I was in high school. But when I think of what God has done in my life, that keeps joy alive, much more than missing a moment on the wall. When we come back from a mission trip and we celebrate the work God has done, that keeps our joy alive going forward. Because when we tell the stories and mark the things God has done, our joy deepens and sticks. Dear one, when was the last time you let yourself just sit in God's goodness? I know our lives are busy, full of kids' sports, our own work and household chores, but what if you allowed yourselves just a few minutes to really let the calm delight of knowing Jesus permeate you? So today, don't rush past it. God's not just working in your life, He's inviting you to experience all of the joy it brings. So don't miss that moment. If you're like me and you just need to remind yourself that you have permission to enjoy the moments in life, that yes, you may be tired, but stepping in and getting connected is worth it. So I've attached a permission slip in the show notes. If you're like me and need a reminder that it's okay to pause and take in the joy, I encourage you to download the slip, fill it out, and post it where you'll be reminded. Jesus is just waiting to spend time with you. And with that comes joy. Thank you for joining me today. It is an honor to spend some time with you. Amen.