Month: February 2015

Here we are today, slaves in the land You gave our ancestors so that they could enjoy its fruit and its goodness. Here we are – slaves in it! Nehemiah 9:36

My son, Jonathan, who lives in Murfreesboro, Tennessee owns a 1966 red Ford Mustang that is housed in my garage because he does not have a safe place to keep it. Since he does not live in Shepherdsville, Kentucky he cannot enjoy driving his Mustang very often even though he is the rightful owner.

The Israelites had been given the promised land years prior to this verse being written by Nehemiah. They technically owned it, but because of their sin and rebellion against God, they were slaves of a foreign king and no longer enjoyed the benefits of owning the land. The king had allowed them to return to their land but only with slave status, a high price to pay for their unwise choices.

Challenge: God desires to give us lives with abundance, but too often our sin and rebellion against God cause us to suffer instead of enjoying life. As believers, we own the blessing of being children of God, but we are unable to enjoy it to the fullest because of our unwise choices. Are you a slave to your own sin? Thank God for His unending love and faithfulness. Ask Him to forgive you and help you to enjoy the abundant life that He wants you to have.

When they were in their kingdom, with Your abundant goodness that You gave them, and in the spacious and fertile land You set before them, they would not serve You or turn from their wicked ways. Nehemiah 9:35 HCSB

In the book, The Frog in the Kettle by George Barna, he uses this illustration, “If you drop a frog in a kettle of boiling water it will jump out immediately in reaction to the heat and pain. On the other hand, if you put the frog in water that is room temperature, slowly heating it, the frog will remain in the kettle and eventually cook to death.” This illustrates how we slowly accept the conditions around us and become very comfortable with that which will eventually cause us pain, suffering, and even death. We all need to be aware and not become too comfortable with what is around us by accepting things that really are not good for us.

The Israelites became comfortable in their wealth and success. They enjoyed the blessings God had showered upon them. They became self-sufficient rather than dependent upon God. They forgot that God was the source of their blessings. They neglected His laws and regulations and began to accept foreign gods. They were just like the frog in the kettle; certainly they did not intend to turn away from God and forget His ways, but they gradually accepted more and more foreign gods until they had completely forgotten God.

Challenge: Evaluate your own life and determine if you are becoming too comfortable with things that are not God-honoring. Do your blessings cause you to be thankful to God and draw you closer to Him, or do they make you self-sufficient and forgetful of God?

When they were in their kingdom, with Your abundant goodness that You gave them, and in the spacious and fertile land You set before them, they would not serve You or turn from their wicked ways. Nehemiah 9:35 HCSB

Life is filled with choices. Some choices will bring wealth while others will bring poverty. Some choices will bring gladness and happiness while others will only bring sadness and regret. We can choose to obey God and receive blessings or reject God and His principles and receive our just punishment. It is always easier to reflect back and see how one would change his behavior and make different choices to receive blessings instead of obstacles. Personally, I have made several good choices in my life such as choosing Debbie to be my wife, but I regret to say that I have made many poor choices and wish I could turn back the hands of time so I could make better choices.

This verse in Nehemiah reminds us that God loves us and has richly blessed us in spite of our wickedness. He blesses us even when we choose to rebel and sin. The Israelites made the wrong choice to reject God and to continue in their wicked ways. Yet, God continued to love them and brought them back from exile to the promised land. Sometimes we too know we are sinning but choose to continue to sin and do not turn from our evil ways. God still loves us and desires to bless us, but too often our poor choices lead to poor consequences.

Challenge: What choices do you have to make today? Honor God by making a good choice. Ask God to give you the strength and wisdom to make the right choice when you are faced with making a decision.

You are righteous concerning all that has come on us, because You have acted faithfully, while we have acted wickedly. Nehemiah 9:33 HCSB

We live in a wicked world. I can remember when I never heard a curse word or saw a married couple in the same bed on television. Television used to present a wholesome God-honoring picture of life. It was unusual to even see a couple have a small kiss. Today, even the commercials advertising television shows seem to be “X” rated. Just recently, I viewed advertisements for the new movie “Fifty Shades of Grey” that I would not want my children or grandchildren to see. Even television shows depict unmarried couples and even multiple partners together in bed. Why has our world become so wicked? It is troubling to imagine what our world will be like when my grandchildren get to be my age.

It appears that even in Nehemiah’s day that the people were evil and wicked. In this verse they were confessing that God had always been faithful to do what He said He would do even though they had rebelled against His laws and failed to follow His rules and regulations. God is a good God and His rules and regulations are not intended to deprive us from having fun; rather, they exist to help us have an abundant life.

Challenge: Confess your personal wickedness. Pray for our wicked world. Refuse to watch television shows and movies that do not reflect a God-honoring viewpoint. Read God’s Word and follow His rules and regulations so you can experience a happier and more fulfilled life as promised by Jesus in John 10:10.

So now, our God – the great, mighty, and awe-inspiring God who keeps His gracious covenant – do not view lightly all the hardships that have afflicted us, our kings and leaders, our priests and prophets, our ancestors and all Your people, from the days of the Assyrian kings until today. Nehemiah 9:32 HCSB

I enjoy photography as a hobby. While in college I worked in the camera department of a store at which time my father and I had a photographic dark room in our basement where we developed black and white pictures and color slides. Today, I especially enjoy taking landscape pictures. Some of my favorite pictures are of sunrises and sunsets. I have been watching the Farmers Insurance Open Golf Tournament on television that is being played on the Torrey Pines Golf Course in California. Some of the pictures of the golf course along the cliffs that overlook the blue waters of the Pacific Ocean are awe-inspiring. Only an awesome God could create such beauty.

Nehemiah describes God as great, mighty, and awe-inspiring. The word “awe-inspiring” can be translated as “awesome”, “reverenced”, or “to be feared”. Our God is an awesome God. Rich Mullins wrote and recorded a song entitled “Awesome God” in 1988 that rose to the number one spot on Christian radio and subsequently became a popular congregational song. This song was inspired by Nehemiah 9:32.

Challenge: Make a list of the many reasons that our God is an awesome God. Just imagine what it will be like when you stand before God in heaven – certainly it will be an awe-inspiring sight. Thank God for His magnificence. Listen to the song “Awesome God” by Rich Mullins on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJL_bChiTI0

Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who were instructing the people said to all of them, “This day is holy to the Lord your God. Do not mourn or weep.” For all the people were weeping as they heard the words of the law. Then he said to them, Go and eat what is rich, drink what is sweet, and send portions to those who have nothing prepared, since today is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, because the joy of the Lord in your stronghold.” Nehemiah 8:9-10 HCSB

The first church I served after graduating from seminary was the Delaney Street Baptist Church in Orlando, Florida. My position was Minister of Youth and Outreach. The bus ministry was part of my outreach responsibilities. Our church used four buses to pick up children each week and bring them to church. Included in my responsibilities was leading a children’s worship. One of the songs we sang with the children was “The Joy of the Lord is My Strength” which was based on this Scripture in Nehemiah.

The people were overcome with emotion as they heard the Word of God and realized how they had sinned and rebelled against God. As they heard the stories of the Israelites being delivered from slavery in Egypt and then wandering in the wilderness, they identified with them because they too had experienced being in slavery and now God had brought them back to Jerusalem. The leaders reminded them that it was a holy day and a day of celebration instead of grieving. The people were to party and give to those in need.

Challenge: When was the last time you were moved to emotion because of your sin? As a believer God loves you and has brought you back from the slavery of sin to a right relationship with Him. As a believer, celebrate your new life in Christ. One of the best ways to celebrate what God has done for you is by giving to those in need. Look for ways you can help others. Listen to the kids music of “The Joy of the Lord is My Strength” on Youtube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2ourQYqOyU

They read out of the book of the law of God, translating and giving the meaning so that the people could understand what was read. Nehemiah 8:8 HCSB

God allowed me to be a part of a mission trip to Belarus where I led Sunday School leadership conferences to help youth leaders understand how they could more effectively teach God’s Word to teenagers. Since I did not speak their native language, I needed a translator. He translated what I said so the people could understand me then translated what the people said so I could understand them.

The Levites were knowledgable of the Scriptures and capable of translating them to a language the people could understand. Most of the people spoke Aramaic, but the Scriptures that were being read were written in Hebrew. Therefore, the people needed a translator to help them understand what God wanted them to do.

Challenge: Most of us are fortunate to have a Bible that we can read and understand. Sometimes we need to use other resources to help us understand the meaning of what was written. There are many people around us every day who are able to read God’s Word, but they really do not understand what it means. Is there someone in your life for whom you need to translate to help them understand how God loves them and gave His Son, Jesus Christ to die on the cross for their sins? Pray for an opportunity to help others understand God’s faithfulness and never-ending love and compassion.

Ezra praised the Lord, the great God, and with their hands uplifted all the people said, “Amen, Amen!” Then they bowed down and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground. Nehemiah 8:5 HCSB

I was fortunate to be able to attend the “Standing in the Gap” rally for men in Washington DC. Over a million men crowded into the mall on October 4, 1997 to hear speakers and music that inspired them to “Stand in the Gap” for our nation by praying for our nation and its leaders. I can remember one speaker asked all of us to lie down with our faces to the ground. This was a posture to show our complete repentance and dependence on God.

In this Scripture we find that the people had several postures of worship. They lifted their hands and they bowed down with their faces to the ground. There is not a correct or incorrect posture to praise and worship God. Some people raise their hands while others do not feel comfortable doing so. Some people come to the altar to pray while others stand at their seats with their heads bowed.

Challenge: God is not as concerned about our physical posture in worship as the posture of our hearts. Are we truly repentant? Are we truly seeking God and desire to follow His will? Whatever your posture, make sure your heart is turned to God and your one desire is to glorify Him in all you do.

Ezra opened the book in full view of all the people, since he was elevated above everyone. As he opened it, all the people stood up. Nehemiah 8:5 HCSB

Dr. Winfred Moore was the senior pastor at First Baptist Church, Amarillo, Texas when I served on staff as the Youth Minister. One thing I can remember that impressed me was that every time He read the Word of God in a worship service, he asked all the people to stand in respect, honor, and reverence of the reading of God’s Word.

In this Scripture we learn that when Ezra opened God’s Holy Word to read, all the people stood up. The Scripture does not tell us why they stood, but possibly it was to show respect, honor, and reverence for the reading of God’s Word. The law of Moses, the Torah, was regarded to be holy. Therefore, the people wanted to show their respect for God’s Holy Word by standing for the reading.

Challenge: Do you treat God’s Word as holy? Do you have a natural reverence for the reading of God’s Word? Are you spending time in God’s Word to learn how He wants you to live? Use God’s Holy Word as a lamp and a light to show you God’s will for your life. Pray that as you read your Bible God will reveal His perfect will and plan for you.

All the people gathered together at the square in front of the the Water Gate. They asked Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses that the Lord had given Israel. On the first day of the seventh month, Ezra the priest brought the law before the assembly of men, women, and all who could listen with understanding. Nehemiah 8:1-2

Many churches are placing a greater emphasis on family ministry. Brian Haynes has written a book titled, “Shift” that presents the important Biblical principle that parents are responsible for the spiritual development of their children. Too often parents have brought their children to the church in hopes that the church would teach them what they needed to know about God. Brian Haynes’ book presents the idea that spiritual development of children needs to be shifted back to parents. Churches need to partner with parents to help parents do their job of raising their children and teaching them about God, Jesus, and how to live their lives to bring glory to God.

This verse indicates that all the people (men, women, and children) gathered to hear the reading of God’s Word. Normally only men would have been included, but this was an unusual occasion where all the people gathered. The children present that day certainly would never forget seeing their parents and grandparents, along with the largest crowed they’d ever seen, worshipping and praising God. The Word that was read that day would have been the law of Moses, the Torah, or the first five books of the Bible. Normally, God’s Word was read during the Feast of Booths every seven years. It had been more than eleven years since God’s Word had been read in Jerusalem. That was reason to bring all the people together to celebrate.

Challenge: Parents must model, not just talk, for their children to learn how to live their lives for God. What type of model are you setting for your children or grandchildren? Ask God to help you to set a good example for those who may be looking to you for spiritual wisdom and direction.