UNDER PRESSURE â—½ ENCOURAGEMENT
One Four-Letter Response
by Debbie Haynes
The word “amen.” Have you ever heard folks say it in a church setting, or have you exclaimed it yourself to a friend when in agreement with what he or she said?
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In Nehemiah, we read about a guy named Ezra who opened the book and the people stood up. As Ezra blessed the Lord, “the great God,” all the people answered, “Amen, Amen,” lifting up their hands, bowing their heads and worshipping. Amen was a response as an honor to the reading of the Word, as an act of worship.
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Next, we read that the people talked through the meaning of the words, and that they understood what
they were hearing, and all the church again said, “Amen, Amen!” It was then declared that that day was a “holy day” – a day where the people were to weep no longer (because of captivity and trauma and sin) but instead rejoice and be responsive to a renewed relationship with God in their own country.
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What a beautiful thing!
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Nehemiah then told the people to eat and drink and to not be grieved, for the “joy of the Lord is your strength.” Again the people understood, and they were quiet in reverence because of the holy day. And in response to the word, they ate and they drank, and then they rejoiced and said, “Amen and amen!”
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We too cry and mourn for our country, we ask God in faith to hear our prayers, and he does. He responds to us with grace and mercy, and our own response should always be to thank him for his words that he speaks and writes to us. We too can rejoice for his joy is our very strength, too!
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Fast forward to the New Testament, where Jesus fulfilled all of the law, and we read in II Corinthians that God is faithful, and that all the promises of God find their yes in Jesus. And this is why it is through him that we utter “Amen” to God for his glory.
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God establishes us in his son Jesus Christ, and has sealed us to himself.
We too, as his people, can respond with, “Amen, Amen!”
This means surely this is the truth and certainly let it be so!