Category: First Things First Devotional

When the surrounding peoples bring merchandise or any kind of grain to sell on the Sabbath day, we will not buy from them on the Sabbath or a holy day. We will also leave the land uncultivated in the seventh year and will cancel every debt. Nehemiah 10:31 HCSB

I can remember when nearly every store and business was closed on Sunday. The Sabbath was a day for rest and going to church. I can also remember when stores started opening on Sunday. I worked for a store when I was in college that required me to work one Sunday a month. I would have to leave church early so I could be there by noon to open the store. At that time, stores only stayed open from noon until 5:00 pm, but now nearly all stores and businesses are open on Sunday and have regular hours. Sunday has become just like any other day of the week.

From the beginning of time God established the Sabbath as a day of rest. God Himself rested from creating the world on the seventh day. We all need a day of rest and a day to focus on our relationship with God. The Israelites had forgotten to keep the Sabbath and they were renewing their commitment to honor the Sabbath and keep it holy by not working.

Challenge: Consider studying the new book, Breathe, by Priscilla Shirer. She says, “We are in bondage to busyness. We constantly strive to complete the limitless to-do lists that hinder us from experiencing all that God has for us. We miss the moments because we rush ahead to the next thing. It is time for us to breathe and build margin into our lives for God. Sabbath was intended as a gift, and it is still a gift to us today. If you are weary, worn out, and exhausted the concept of Sabbath will change your life.” Even if you have to work on Sunday, find another day during the week to have a Sabbath.

We will not give our daughters in marriage to the surrounding peoples and will not take their daughters as wives for our sons. Nehemiah 10:30 HCSB

I can remember when I was in school, my science teacher asked all students in her class to complete an experiment which required adding oil to a glass of water. We then stirred the water vigorously to mix the oil and water. No matter how hard we tried to mix the two liquids, they would always separate and the oil would rise to the surface.

This verse in Nehemiah is a commitment from the people of Israel, God’s chosen people, to be separate and not join the rest of the world and its pagan practices of worshipping carved images and false gods. God knew what was best for the Israelites. Because the other people would only draw them back into sin, He asked them to stay apart.

This does not mean that God is prejudiced and does not like other races or nationalities. To the contrary, God loves all the people and wants everyone, no matter what nationality or color of skin to come to know His Son, Jesus, as his or her personal Lord and Savior (John 3:16). God calls for all Christians – God’s children – to set themselves apart from the world in actions and behavior. Christians are to be in the world but not of the world (Romans 12:2).

Challenge: Pray that God will help you go into the world and be an example of His love to a lost and dying world. Set yourself apart from the evils of our world. Do not be afraid to be different. God will give you the strength and courage you need. Read Jesus’ prayer for His disciples and for you in John 17:6-26.

The rest of the people – the priests, Levites, gatekeepers, singers, and temple servants, along with their wives, sons, and daughters, everyone who is able to understand and who has separated themselves from the surrounding peoples to obey the law of God – join with their noble brothers and commit themselves with a sworn oath to follow the law of God given through God’s servant Moses and to carefully obey all the commands, ordinances, and statutes of Yahweh our Lord. Nehemiah 10:28-29 HCSB

The President of the United States takes an oath to protect the American people and to uphold the laws and Constitution of the United States. Other government officials and judges take similar oaths. Similarly, when someone marries, a vow is spoken to love and cherish his/her husband or wife in sickness or health, in riches or poverty, in good times and bad until death. Vows and oaths are meaningless if the person making them is insincere.

The people made an oath to follow the laws of God and to carefully obey all the commands, ordinances, and statutes of Yahweh the Lord that were given to Moses. The Israelites had made this promise many times before but had been deceived and followed other gods. The Israelites returned to Jerusalem from exile and recommitted to do what God had commanded. God knows what is best for us. His laws exist to protect us and give us abundant life. Too many times the devil twists the truth and tempts us to think that abundant life is in the world and disobeying God’s laws and direction.

Challenge: If you have fallen away and not followed God the way you should, make a vow to read God’s Word, learn what He wants you to do, and then follow His will and direction for your life. Do not be deceived by the devil and the ways of the world. Abundant life is only found in Jesus and through following God’s way
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The rest of the people – the priests, Levites, gatekeepers, singers, and temple servants, along with their wives, sons, and daughters, everyone who is able to understand and who has separated themselves from the surrounding peoples to obey the law of God – join with their noble brothers and commit themselves with a sworn oath to follow the law of God given through God’s servant Moses and to carefully obey all the commands, ordinances, and statutes of Yahweh our Lord. Nehemiah 10:28-29 HCSB

In 1776 some brave patriots who were willing to die for their freedom signed the Declaration of Independence. These pioneers changed the course of history. This is just one example of times in history in which people have taken a stand and made a commitment to principles of conviction. Today, our military servants take an oath to protect our country and the freedoms we enjoy. Many have given their lives so we might live in a country where we can freely worship God and pursue our own dreams and direction in life.

The Israelites made a “Declaration of Dependence” rather than independence. They were making a commitment to keep themselves separate from the world and to follow God’s laws, commands, and statutes. They were declaring that they were completely dependent upon God to protect and to provide for their needs.

Challenge: Have you made the same “Declaration of Dependence” on God? It is only through having a right relationship with Jesus Christ and depending on Him to forgive you and give you eternal life that you can be made right with God who loves and cares for you more than you can imagine. Declare your dependence on God to save you from your sins and provide for your needs.

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