The Israelites had returned from Babylon and rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem. Ezra read them the law of the Lord. They were probably exhausted and overwhelmed by how they had not kept God's law. In Nehemiah 8:10 they are told not to weep, but celebrate: "The joy of the Lord is your strength."

It's true. We're always busy. We can always think about how we fall short of God's standard. So when do we experience joy and celebrate? How about right now?

Sometimes I need to read a really good book or seeing a tear-jerker movie to get my emotions going. I am deeply moved by a scene like the redemptive, romantic one at the end of "A Tale of Two Cities," starring Ronald Coleman. Because he desires the happiness of his friends, the hero goes to the guillotine in place of the husband of the woman he loves.

When we are with the Lord a powerful sense of his presence, power and love can come over us. This doesn't happen every time, but if we neglect our relationship with him it must happen much less frequently. Life is not just about powerful emotions, but one cannot experience joy without being emotional!