Joy and Strength (Christian life and music)

The book of Nehemiah, as do all of the books of the Old Testament, points to the future Messiah, Jesus Christ.  The Levitical priests, the worship, the atoning for sins, the temple itself all point to what Jesus would do for us 400 years later. For the Jews, their temple was the place where God dwelt.  And He did.  He promised to be with them there.  He resided in Jerusalem and was their God. When Jesus arrived, He brought the New Covenant.  Now, thankfully, all were, and still are, welcome to receive and know God.  The way was now open for Gentiles to enter in the gates of thanksgiving and the courts of praise. Now, as miraculous as it is, God resides in the hearts of His followers.  Jesus left us the gift of the Holy Spirit to come and live inside of our hearts. Because of this, though Jerusalem and God's temple in Israel will always be God's territory, we now have the privilege of His Presence in our very souls, our hearts, too. If we stop and think about how holy and sacred

This verse is often quoted among Christians.  They sometimes take it to mean that if you are making a decision and you are confused, then it is not of God.  Or if you are confused about anything in life, then it is not of God and should be dismissed. But we need to work through things.  We need God's help to shed light on what is really happening.  If the enemy is casting doubt on our minds, then the Lord can clear that up and reveal His will in the matter, if we're listening. When I looked up the original Greek for the meaning of confusion in this verse, it was surprising.  It actually means  anarchy. When there is a political uprising, it can happen when the people take power into their own hands, disregarding the law and man-made hierarchy in place. In light of this verse in Scripture, I take it to mean that when I am confused about a matter, that the enemy of my soul is playing anarchist in my mind, trying to overtake Christ in me (ha!).  Poor devil.  He just can't get