WHY DOES GOD BOTHER?

 

Job 7:17-18  What are mere mortals, that you should make so much of us?  For you examine us every morning and test us every moment.

Have you ever asked the Lord this question?  I know I have.  It is a mystery to me why the Lord pays so much attention to us.  Knowing what I know about me, I would think He would have much better things to do than to bother watching over and helping me.  I would think that my struggles with sin would be my problem and not His.  But, I have found that what I think doesn’t really matter.  God is deeply involved with each of us.  He cares about us and one of the ways He shows it is by examining our souls.

Even though it may make us uncomfortable at times, we should welcome God’s examinations.  It is important for our souls’ sake to have our sins brought to light.  We need to regularly have an attitude check.  We need to have our misconceptions and wrong ideas gotten rid of.  We need to constantly be reminded how much we need the Lord.  We need to constantly be put back on the pathway of holiness.

The Lord shows He cares for us also by testing our faith.  How else are we going to be made strong in faith?  How else are we going to know how strong our faith really is?  It is in the testing times of life that faith grows.  We can grow in our understanding of faith without the testings, but we will never grow in faith without the testings.

We are the objects of God’s love.  He created us in love to love us and for us to love Him in return.  That is why we are here.  We don’t deserve God’s attention, but I am so thankful we have it.  Let us strive to never spurn or take for granted His love.  Let us strive to act like we are loved by Him and strive to act like we love Him.  Let us strive to live in such a way that when the Lord examines our hearts, we will not be found wanting with hearts full of sin.

INTEGRITY AND MISERY

 

Job 6:14  One should be kind to a fainting friend, but you have accused me without the slightest fear of the Almighty.

Job’s friends were sitting with him in his misery.  They were there to try to help him get through this very rough time of his life.  But, they were doing more harm than good.  They had the idea that Job’s misery was caused by Job’s problems with God.   They were certain that God was punishing Job for sinning against Him.

Many of us have similar notions.  We see our trials and troubles of life as God’s punishment for our sins.  We believe that the more holy we are the less trouble we are going to have.  We strive to be as good as we can be so that we will avoid the disasters of life.

Job knew better.  He didn’t understand why things were as they were, but he knew it wasn’t because of sin.  He knew the integrity of his heart.  He knew that there were no issues going on between God and himself.  He knew because he made it a point to take care of his soul.  He pursued godliness in his heart.  He worked hard at keeping his heart right with God.

We need to be careful when we judge the heart of others.  We are often mistaken in our judgments.  It is not for us to accuse others of sin.  God alone has that right.  We can point out things that we see that are obviously sin, but that is as far as we dare go.  We have no authority or right to condemn others.  We must respect God and let Him take care of His own business.  He does not need our doing His work for Him, nor is it welcomed.

It is good for us to befriend each other in troublesome times.  It is good to come alongside each other as a helper.  It is good for us to show our compassion by doing that which is good.  Kindness to a suffering soul is the best medicine you can ever give.  Don’t add salt to a wounded soul.  If you don’t know how to help with kindness, don’t say anything.

DENYING GOD

 

Job 6:10  “At least I can take comfort in this: Despite the pain, I have not denied the words of the Holy One.”

We need to learn from Job.  In spite of his enormous physical and emotional pain, he did not deny God.  He trusted and believed God no matter the circumstances of his life.  He did not take the easy way out and blame God for his troubles.  It is easy to use God as a scapegoat.  It is much harder to hold on to God no matter what comes our way.  It is easier to let go of God than it is to hang on.  It is easier to not believe in what God has promised than it is to act out what He has promised in the storms of life.

We are most vulnerable when we are in pain and suffering through very difficult circumstances and Satan knows it.  He will try his hardest to get you to doubt or deny God’s Word during those times.  We don’t like suffering or pain. 

A hymn that I grew up with asks the question, “Will your anchor hold in the storms of life?”  How can we be sure it will hold?  The answer lies in what we do in the calm seasons of life.  It is then that we must invest our lives in Christ.  It is then that we must pursue a deeper walk with Him.  We must be faithfully and diligently into the Word, studying it and praying over it with a desire for greater understanding of it.  We may sort of get by with giving the Word a nominal place in our lives when things are going well, but it really shows up when the storms come.  The same thing holds true with our prayer life.  The time to really develop a strong connection with God is when things are calm and going well.

Seek the Lord out and never be satisfied with anything less than an intimate walk with Him.  Don’t play games with your soul.  The closer you get to the Lord while things are calm, the better you will be able to cling to Him when things get rough.  You will discover that you won’t doubt in the dark what you know to be true in the light.  You will discover that your anchor will hold in the storms of life.

GOD'S CONFIDENCE IN YOU

 

Job 1:20-22  Job stood up and tore his robe in grief.  Then he shaved his head and fell to the ground before God.  He said, “I came naked from my mother’s womb, and I will be stripped of everything when I die.  The LORD gave me everything I had, and the LORD has taken it away.  Praise the name of the LORD!”

Job had lost everything he had gained in this life.  The only thing he had left was his life, wife and integrity of heart.  His wealth was gone, his children were killed, his health was ruined and he was left in a state of utter misery.  Job had done nothing to warrant any of his problems.  God gave Satan permission to harass him.  God knew Job’s heart and trusted in his integrity.  God believed that Job would not turn on Him, no matter how bad things seemed to get.

Let us pause for a moment and think about this.  What kind of confidence does the Lord have in you?  He knows your heart.  He knows your strengths and weaknesses.  He knows if you are strong enough in your faith to withstand whatever comes your way and still remain strong in Him.  Can you be trusted to never compromise the integrity of your heart before Him?  Or, in other words, does your faith have strings attached?  Faith that really helps you is a faith that is not dependent on circumstances.  It is a faith that is rooted in and dependent on the character of God.  It is a faith that never wavers regardless of the happenings of life.

Like Job, we must understand that life is not about its pleasures or conveniences.  Life is far more than what we have, what we do, or who we know.  Life is not measured by who is in it.  Life is relational, about our faith in God.  Nothing else in life matters.  If we are not in a living relationship with God, we have no life.  Everything that life offers is delusional if we have not Christ.  No amount of earthly gain will give us one ounce of heaven’s soil.

We came into this world with absolutely nothing and we will leave it the same way.  It is all futile and means nothing if we don’t have Christ.  Keep your priorities straight; keep Christ always number one in your heart and in your living.

BLAMING GOD

 

Job 1:20-22  Job stood up and tore his robe in grief.  Then he shaved his head and fell to the ground before God.  He said, “I came naked from my mother’s womb, and I will be stripped of everything when I die.  The LORD gave me everything I had, and the LORD has taken it away.  Praise the name of the LORD!  In all of this, Job did not sin by blaming God.

If anyone had a reason to blame God for his misfortune, it was Job.  Job was a man who was determined to live a righteous life.  He was found to be blameless before both God and man.  And then, in a matter of hours, his whole life was turned upside down.  He lost everything that was meaningful to him except his wife.  His wealth was gone, all of his children were killed, all his crops and livestock were destroyed, and he was afflicted with an unbearable outbreak of boils all over his body.  What would you do in similar circumstances?  Would you in anger point a finger at God and want to know why?  I think most people would, but Job didn’t.

Job was overcome with grief, but he did not blame God.  He understood that he came into this world with nothing and would leave it with nothing.  He understood that the blessings of life are not ours to hoard, but to enjoy while we have them.  He understood that we don’t deserve God’s favor when we receive it.  It is God’s right to bless and withdraw His blessings.  Job did not know the whys of his sudden misery, but he was confident enough in God’s love and goodness that he could trust the Lord.  He would not respond negatively towards God, but positively.  He praised the Lord!  He turned to God and worshiped Him.  He would deal with his calamity later, but at the moment he turned to the Lord and praised Him.

Don’t blame God if you are going through tough times in your life.  Don’t turn away from God and think that He doesn’t love you or care about what you are dealing with.  Don’t let Satan confuse your thinking and cause you to think that God is against you.  Look around you; you are richly blessed. 

There are a multitude of people who will never know the blessings you have in life.  No matter how bad things may be for you, it is not as bad as it could be.  We too need to understand that we enter the world with nothing and will leave it with nothing.  Don’t hang on too tightly to stuff.  It can all be taken away from you in a moment of time.  Like Job, learn to praise the Lord at all times, for all things.  Don’t fall into sin by blaming God for your hard times.  Respond positively and not negatively to life’s circumstances by always worshiping God and being grateful to Him for your life and blessings.

KNOWN BY GOD

Job 1:8  Then the LORD asked Satan, “Have you noticed my servant Job?  He is the finest man in all the earth---a man of complete integrity.  He fears God and will have nothing to do with evil.”

God knows us by name.  Of all the people on the earth at that time, God knew Job by name.  That is an amazing thing.  God has the ability to know each one of us by our names and He never gets our names mixed up. 

God had Job pegged.  He not only knew his name, He knew all about his heart.  God knew Job well enough that He could call him the finest man in all the earth.  This tells us that not only did God know Job’s heart; He knows the heart of everyone on earth.  God compared Job to all the people on earth and then made His judgment of him.  I think that is absolutely amazing. 

It is also amazing that God said the things He said about Job.  Job was living a pure and holy life.  He took his relationship with God seriously and God knew it.  We do not live godly lives without it being known and affirmed by God.

We notice as well that God is speaking about Job to Satan.  Satan was adamant about accusing Job of being less than God’s evaluation of him.  Satan was convinced that no one could be as good as God said he was.  Satan does not know the heart.  His belief is that no one is good enough to please God.  No one is worthy of God’s blessings.  No one is qualified to be God’s child. 

Dear friend, never believe what Satan says about you; believe what God says about you.  Don’t let Satan convince you that you are not who God says you are.  God says that if you accept Jesus as your personal Savior and you are letting Him be your Lord, you are forever His child and there is a place reserved in heaven for you.  There is absolutely nothing Satan can do to change that. 

BE LIKE JOB

 

Job 1:1  There was a man named Job who lived in the land of Uz.  He was blameless, a man of complete integrity.  He feared God and stayed away from evil.

This is where the rubber meets the road.  Job was known by man and God as being blameless, a man of complete integrity.  Job was consistently blameless before God.  He was not a different person in public as he was in private.  He did what was right before God all the time.  He didn’t do what was right just when it was to his advantage to do so.  Integrity of heart was who he was.

Job feared God and stayed away from evil.  Job understood that God was holy.  He understood that God is the judge of the soul and that we are accountable to Him for our sins.  Job knew God took seriously the way we think and live.  He knew God in such a way that it caused him to respect who He is.  Job had such a high regard for God that his heart was in a constant state of reverence for Him.  He understood the damage sin could do on his soul.  He understood that sin would drive him away from God.

It is imperative for the health of our souls that we too live blameless lives before God.  We too must be a people who are the same before God in private as we are in public.  We too must not be different in church than we are outside the church.  We must be a people who know God in such a way that we have a proper respect and reverence for Him.  We must as well be a people who stay away from evil because of its damaging effect on our relationship with God.

If you find yourself unlike Job, then I implore you to get your heart right with God today.  It is not only possible to live blamelessly before God, it is imperative that we do so.  God enables us to do it in Christ.  He makes us acceptable and pleasing to God.

May it be said of us that we too are blameless before God, that we are a people of complete integrity.  May we too have a fear of God and be motivated to stay away from evil.

BLAMELESS BEFORE GOD?

 

Job 1:1  There was a man named Job who lived in the land of Uz.  He was blameless, a man of complete integrity.  He feared God and stayed away from evil.

Wouldn’t you like to be like Job?  I know I would.  Here was a man whom God declared to be blameless, a man of complete integrity.  Job feared God and stayed away from evil.

What needs to happen in you in order for God to say of you that you are blameless and full of integrity?  A blameless soul is one who is living totally under the righteousness of Christ.  He trusts Christ alone for his salvation and strives to emulate the life of Christ.  He is one who does not resist the work of the Spirit in his life to change him. 

A person of integrity is consistently doing life God’s way.  He is one who trustworthy.  He does not waver when it comes to doing what is right before God.  He can always be counted on in times of need.

Two things must happen before it can be said of us that we are blameless and a person of integrity.  We must fear God and stay away from evil.  One of the things that we have for the most part gotten away from is to fear God.  We have lost our sense of respect and reverence for God.  We have forgotten how to regard Him as holy and just.  We have pasteurized God to the point where He is not much more than one of us.

Staying away from evil is not something most of us take seriously.  We may not participate in it like some do, but neither do we stay away from it.  We allow ourselves to be entertained by it.  We do not stop ourselves from being entertained by it like we should.  We let it enter into our minds and ultimately into our hearts instead of striving to stay away from it.

Let us take heed today over our souls.  Let us strive to live blameless lives.  Let us endeavor to be known as a people of complete integrity.  Let us learn to fear God and strive to stay away from evil.

A WASTED LIFE

 

Esther 6:6  So Haman came in, and the king said, “What should I do to honor a man who truly pleases me?”  Haman thought to himself, “Whom would the king wish to honor more than me?”

       Haman was a man in deep trouble and he didn’t even know it.  He was proud of his successes, arrogant, and greedy for recognition.  He thought that he had the world by its tail and when he was brought into King Xerxes’ throne room, he immediately thought it was all about himself. 

      Just like Haman, most don’t realize the real trouble they are in.  Haman had sold out his soul for earth’s treasures and most people follow his example.  Haman was to soon discover the price he had to pay for his selfish ambitions; it cost him his life. 

      There is always a price to pay for rejecting God and living for self.  Everyone will pay the price, if not in this life, certainly on Judgment Day when they will face God.  No one gets away with sinful choices and attitudes.  No one. 

      Jesus raised a very serious question that all of us must answer, “What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world, but loses his soul?”  The answer is very simple.  The only thing gained is an eternity spent in hell. 

       What is there in your life that you are not willing to give up for the sake of living a life fully surrendered to the Lord?  What do you deem to be of greater importance to you than the Lord?   Is anything worth spending eternity in hell for? 

       There is no wiggle room on this.   If you are not living for Christ, you are living for the world.  If you not living for Christ today, tomorrow may very well be too late for you to change your ways. 

       Little did Haman know when he went before the king that his life would be over within a couple of days.  By the time he came to his senses, he desperately pleaded for his life before Queen Esther, but it was too late.  He had run out of chances to change his ways.

        Don’t do like Haman did.  Don’t wait until it’s too late.  Only God knows when your time will be up, when you will have no more chances to change your ways and live for Christ.  Don’t waste your life chasing after the empty promises of this world.  Don’t sell out your soul to the devil.  Give your life totally to the Lord today.  You will be glad you did.

LET THE LORD USE YOU

Esther 4:14-15  Mordecai sent back this reply to Esther: “Don’t think for a moment that you will escape there in the palace when all other Jews are killed.  If you keep quiet at a time like this, deliverance for the Jews will arise from some other place, but you and your relatives will die.  What’s more, who can say but that you have been elevated to the palace for such a time as this?”

    

     Queen Esther had sent word to Mordecai that she was afraid to go and plead with King Xerxes on behalf of the Jews.  It was the rule of the land that if a person was not summoned to come to the king he would be executed unless the king held out his sword for the person to touch.  Esther had not been summoned to the king for over a month.

      Mordecai reminded her that this was a matter of life and death.  He knew in his heart that God would spare the Jews from Haman’s evil decree, but the chances were strong that Esther, himself, and their family would probably die. 

       Mordecai also challenged Esther to consider the possibility that God had placed her in her high position as queen for just this moment in time. 

        We don’t know but that we are where we are at right now in our lives because of God’s sovereign plan.  The Lord may have very well-orchestrated your life’s events so that you would be who and what you are today to make a difference in the lives of many others. 

        Look around you.  Who needs you in their lives?  You can make a huge difference in someone’s life if you are willing to seize the opportunities the Lord is giving you.  Don’t minimize the importance of serving the Lord.  Your life is no accident.  God has a plan and wants to use you to fulfill it.  You may be the key to setting some soul on fire for the Lord.  You may be the one God has chosen to use to set in motion a great movement of God in your church or community.

     Will you let the Lord use you right now, right where you are?  Will you let Him use you to make an eternal difference in others’ lives for Him? 

       Esther stepped up to the plate after she bathed herself in prayer and fasted and the Lord gloriously used her to save the people of Israel.  Seek the Lord with a fully surrendered heart and let Him have His way with you.

MOURNING OVER SIN

 

Esther 4:1  When Mordecai learned what had been done, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the city, crying with a loud and bitter wail.

      Haman, the prime minister of the land, hated the Jews, and Mordecai in particular.  He could not stand the thought that Mordecai did not bow down before him and acknowledge him worthy of being put on a pedestal.  He took advantage of the situation and arranged to have all the Jews in the kingdom killed on a set day in the following spring.

      Mordecai went into mourning for the Jews.  I don’t believe he was focused on himself nearly as much as he was for his fellow Jews.  The Jews were the chosen people of God.  They were the chosen vessel of God for the coming Messiah and for bringing God to the world.  Mordecai was absolutely devastated.  He publicly showed his grief by the way he dressed and crying out in anguish of heart.

      We live in a world where hatred of Christians is everywhere.  Daily there are people being executed for their faith in God.  Wherever you go, there is a strong effort to remove any discussion about Christ from the public arena.  Whole societies have banned children of God from the public arena and persecution is common.

       When was the last time we cried out in anguish of heart over the slaying of fellow believers?  When was the last time you prayed for those who daily face the threat of death?  When was the last time you pleaded with God to stop the madness? 

       We say we love the family of God, but do we really?  We somehow have gotten the idea that if we aren’t personally under fire or affected by the persecutions, we don’t have a need to be bothered by it. 

      If it doesn’t affect us, can we honestly say we love the Lord?  Pray for those who put their lives on the line for Christ.  Pray for those who are being publicly ostracized because of their faith.  Things are only going to get worse in the world and beseeching God on one another’s behalf is one of our greatest testimonies of our love for the Lord.

ALL ARE EQUAL BEFORE GOD

 

Esther 3:5  When Haman saw that Mordecai would not bow down or show him respect, he was filled with rage.

        Haman was the prime minister in King Xerxes’ kingdom.  It was a vast kingdom and the most powerful one on earth at the time.  Haman was highly feared and respected through the land and people were expected to bow before him wherever he went.

        Mordecai was a Jew and would not bow before him.  He was devoted to God and bowed only to Him.  Mordecai did not fear Haman or any other man.  He only feared God.  This did not set well with Haman.  He let his position go to his head and believed that he deserved to be treated as someone special.  When someone did not treat him as special, he went into a rage. 

       No one deserves to be put on a pedestal or treated better than others.  No one.  We are all created equal by God.  In Christ, no one has any better standing before God than anyone else.  No one has any right to lord it over another. 

       We are to treat one another with love and respect.  We have no right to look down on anyone or think we are better than anyone.  It is sin to put ourselves above another and God holds us accountable for it.

OUT OF CONTROL ANGER

 

Esther 2:1  But after Xerxses’ anger had  cooled, he began thinking about Vashti and what she had done and the decree he had made.

       King Xerxes had reacted in anger when his wife, Vashti, had not obeyed him when he wanted to show off her beauty at a festival he had given for the dignitaries of his kingdom.  This festival lasted six months and during that time Vashti had entertained the women of the kingdom.  King Xerxes had undoubtedly had too much to drink when this happened and quickly became angry at Vashti’s snub.

        We need to learn a lesson from this.  It usually does not do anyone any good to react in anger.  Usually we make decisions that we later regret.  Xerxes began to second guess himself after he had cooled down, but for him, it was too late.  He had banished Vashti from her role as queen of the land when he listened to the advice of his counselors.  He now was all alone with no one to be by his side as he ruled. 

        He had made a rash decision and now was left to live with the consequences.   When we react in anger, there usually are consequences to pay and often they are hurtful either to ourselves personally or to others. 

        We can avoid the consequences of our anger when we learn to control it.   The only sure way to keep anger in check is to live submissively to the Holy Spirit.  When the Lord rules our hearts, we have a much better chance of thinking carefully through our decisions instead of reacting to them.  The next time anger grabs hold of you, turn to the Lord and ask Him to help you regain your control.  The time it takes to turn to Him and let Him help you will spare you and others much pain and suffering.

GOD'S HOLY DAY

 

Neh. 13:22a  Then I commanded the Levites to purify themselves and to guard the gates in order to preserve the holiness of the Sabbath.

       We are all guilty.  We do not do a very good job of preserving the holiness of the Lord’s Day.  We go to church, but it is only one of the many things we crowd into the day.  We go out to eat and no longer feel guilty about it.  We go to work and justify it claiming it is necessary for our jobs.  We go to sporting events to either watch or play.  We go shopping.  We mow our lawns and do our laundry.  We plant and harvest our crops.  We do all the things we would do any other day and convince ourselves that it is okay since we were in church.  I wonder what the Lord thinks of us.

        Now, I understand that the Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath.  We cannot legislate our activities.  What some of us feel the freedom to do may not be what others feel the freedom to do.  What I wonder about is whether or not what we do has even been prayed over.  Have we given the Lord a chance to determine whether or not we should be doing what we do?  How can we know whether or not the Lord is okay with us if we don’t first take our activities to Him?

      Nehemiah’s concern was to protect the holiness of the Sabbath.  He did not want to allow the people to do anything that would desecrate the Lord’s Day.  I believe that we should be equally as concerned about how we live on the Lord’s Day.  Do we honor the Lord’s Day by what we do?  Perhaps the world would take note and listen more carefully to what we are trying to tell them if we showed by our actions that we truly do love the Lord and strive to respect the day He has set aside for us to worship Him.

GOD'S MERCY

Neh. 9:31  But in your great mercy, you did not destroy them completely or abandon them forever.  What a gracious and merciful God you are!

      The Israelites had defied God.  They had ignored His command to not intermarry with the pagan people around them.  They had brought them into their homes and established lives with them.  As a result, they were led into even greater sin.  Yet, God did not do what they deserved to get.  He did not wipe the Israelites out.  He let them face the consequences of their sin, but He remained a witness amongst them.  He continued to raise up prophets to teach and admonish them.  He repeatedly tried to woo them back to Him.

       I am so thankful that we serve a God who loves us unconditionally.  He loves us even though we mess up and defy His instructions to us.  He loves us and relentlessly tries to woo us back to Him.  He does not give up on us, even when others do.  He does not give up on us even when we give up on ourselves. 

      Dear friend, worship the Lord our God today.  He is great in mercy and is gracious to us.  He never stops loving and pursuing us.  He doesn’t like it when we wander from Him.  He doesn’t like it when we disobey His Word.  But, He always welcomes us back within the fold of His love when we repent and turn back to Him. 

       “Thank you, O Lord, for who you are.  You are gracious and merciful to us.  You are great in your compassion for us.  You never give up on us or abandon us in spite of our giving up on you or abandoning you.  You relentlessly pursue us all the days of our lives, longing to have fellowship with us.  Lord, thank you for the many opportunities you give us daily to live rightly before you.  Thank You for your relentless work to make us holy.   Lord, to you be all honor and glory, both now and forever.  In You alone we place our trust.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.”

SIX HOUR WORSHIP SERVICE

Neh. 9:3  The Book of the Law of the Lord their God was read aloud to them for about three hours.  Then for three more hours they took turns confessing their sins and worshiping the LORD their God.

      When was the last time you were in a 6 hour church service?  For most of us a service that lasts much more than an hour really makes us antsy and anxious for it to end.  How would you like to listen to 3 hours devoted to the reading of God’s Word?  Many of us struggle to even read the Word, let alone spend 3 hours doing it.  What about listening for 3 hours as the Word is being explained?  Most of us like our sermons short and sweet. 

I like to read my Bible a lot.  I get up early in the morning to spend time with the Lord in the Word, but not 3 hours’ worth.  We can only imagine what it must have been like for the Israelites on that day.  Remember, this was a gathering of people from all over the land.  They were not divided into their own little groups.  They had gathered as one people to worship the Lord under the direction of Ezra and Nehemiah.  They had no personal agenda and they did not have to protect their own little groups. 

       Notice what happened.  After spending concentrated time in the Word, the people confessed their sins and worshiped the Lord for another three hours.  Three hours of confession and worship!  Three hours of waiting before God for pure hearts and lifting their hearts up in worship.  Spending uninterrupted time with the Lord was their agenda.  Nothing else mattered.  They lingered in the presence of God until their soul needs were met. 

       I wonder what would happen if we today would be more focused on what God has to say, what our needs are as they are exposed by the Word, and worship that is not dictated by the clock.  I wonder what would happen if we were to linger in the presence of God until the Lord was done changing our hearts and minds.  I wonder what we would have to do differently in order for it to happen.  I wonder if anyone of us will take this devotional to heart today.  I wonder.

RESPONDING TO GOD'S WORD

Neh. 9:3  The Book of the Law of the Lord their God was read aloud to them for about three hours.  Then for three more hours they took turns confessing their sins and worshiping the LORD their God.

       Now, this is a worship service I would have loved to be in!  For three hours the Word of God was read to the people and for three hours the people responded to it by confessing their sins and worshiping God.

      Very few people would tolerate such a service today.  Most people get very antsy when a service lasts much more than an hour.  Most of us today want to hear the Word read and expounded on for absolutely no more than forty minutes and it is much better if it’s for around twenty minutes.  Most people will just get up and leave the service if it involves much more than that.

       When was the last time you actually sat down and read the Word for more than just a few minutes?  Can you say that you have ever sat still and read it for three hours at one sitting?  Could it be that our tolerance level for worship is a reflection of how much time we spend in the Word? 

      The Word was read for three hours.  We are not told if that included just the reading of the Word or if it also included expounding on it.  Either way, it just would not go well with us today.  But, it didn’t stop there. 

       Having heard the Word, the people then took another three hours out of their day to repent and worship the Lord.  I personally believe that the Word of God convicts people of their sins.  Yet, how many of us can honestly say that it convicts us?  Are we not hearing what God says? 

       It used to be that when the Word was proclaimed, an altar call was given so that people could publicly respond to the Lord speaking through His Word.  Today, we are getting rid of our altars.  Is it any wonder that our faith is so weak and ineffective? 

       I am not advocating for six hour worship services, but I am advocating for a much better response on our part to God’s Word.  We must regard the Word as the voice of God.  We must return to it, listen to it, and respond to it in a proper way.  God will not do anything in us or our churches until we do.

GET DOWN TO BUSINESS WITH GOD

Neh. 9:2  Those of Israelite descent separated themselves from all foreigners as they confessed their own sins and the sins of their ancestors.

       The Israelites meant business.  They were determined to do the right thing.  They had finally gotten to the point where all that mattered to them was to get right with God.  The first thing that they did was to separate themselves from all foreigners.  This was no small task for their lives were intertwined with the foreigners they lived amongst.  They had embraced their lifestyles, worshiped their gods, and intermarried with them.  The sincerity of their hearts can easily be seen here.  They understood that if they were going to do business with God, they had to be willing to change their ways, no matter how difficult it may be.

       Notice that the Israelites did not concern themselves with the sins of others.  They understood that they were responsible for their own sins.  In order for anything to change in us, we too must deal with our sins before God.  We must make it our business to admit, confess, and surrender our sins to the Lord.  We must not let the sins of others be a distraction to us.  Each one of us is responsible for our own sins.  Someone else’s sins are between them and God, not us. 

       Instead of stewing over the sins of those amongst us, let us mind our own business and take care of our own sins.  Nothing is going to change in our homes, churches, or world if we are not willing to let the Lord convict us of sin.  A broken and contrite heart before God is what moves God to act.  Be a leader to those in your life; lead them by your example on your knees before God who alone can save us and heal us.

LEARNING MORE

Neh. 8:13  On October 9 the family leaders and the priests and Levites met with Ezra to go over the law in greater detail.

      The spiritual leaders of Israel met privately with Ezra to go over the law in greater detail.  What a wonderful example for us to follow!  It was in their hearts to find out in greater detail how to live by the law they had been given.

      This should be the desire of every believer’s heart, especially those who are leaders in their homes and in the church.  Our need to know more about God’s Word should drive us.  We dare not to ever be content with what we know and understand.  Growth can only happen when we have a thirst and hunger for God.

      We have a tendency to lose our appetite for more knowledge and understanding.  We get the idea we have it all nailed down and can’t be taught new things.  We get comfortable with what we know and do not want to take the risk of having to change our minds on things.  We become too proud to admit that we continue to have struggles with our understanding.  We are more comfortable coasting our way to heaven than we are exploring deeper and new truths.

      If we are not growing in our walk with the Lord, chances are good that we are going away from Him.  The Spirit in us stimulates spiritual growth.  He is not an idle resident of our hearts.  He is always at work to change us, equip us, and empower us for service.  We are called to serve the Lord, not to be bystanders in the Kingdom. 

      Ask the Lord to never let your hunger and thirst for more understanding and knowledge grow faint or die.  Ask Him to help you to take advantage of opportunities you have to gain greater understanding.  Ask Him to keep people in your life who can guide you as you search the Scriptures.  And, ask the Lord to help you to be willing to help those the Lord brings into your life.  Ask the Lord to help you and then do something about it.

JOYFUL UNDERSTANDING

Neh. 8:11, 12  And the Levites, too, quieted the people telling them, “Hush!  Don’t weep!  For this is a sacred day.  So the people went away to eat and drink at a festive meal, to share gifts of food, and to celebrate with great joy because they had heard God’s words and understood them.

     When was the last time you were in a festive mood because you had heard God’s Word and understood it?  Sounds kind of strange doesn’t it?  We just don’t get too excited when we hear the Word and understand it.  We are far more likely to be stoic rather than jubilant over it.  Some people like to say “Amen” when they hear truths they understand and agree with.  Most people don’t.  As a preacher, I enjoy hearing affirmation from people when the Word is proclaimed.  It tells me that what I am saying is being heard, understood and received. 

      Now, it is important that the Word be presented in such a way that understanding is possible.  Words should never be spoken that hinder understanding.  I believe it is wrong to use flowery speech to say what can be said in much simpler words.  It is wrong to gloat over those who don’t understand what you say.  It is wrong to withhold understanding from others when you have the opportunity to give it to them.  And, it is wrong to give others anything but the Word because it is the only thing that needs to be understood for eternal life.

       Thank the Lord for those who have brought understanding to you.  Thank Him for the opportunities He has given you to bring understanding to others.

       Rejoice over those things the Lord has revealed to you in His Word.  Rejoice over the new things He helps you to understand.  Rejoice when others hear the Word with understanding hearts.  Let there be great joy in the camp of the redeemed!

      And, pray for those who don’t have the opportunities you have to hear the Word and understand it.  Pray that the Lord will get through to those who are denied access to the truth due to false teachings.  Pray that the body of Christ will grow in grace and truth until Jesus comes.

SAVOR GOD'S RESTORATION

Neh. 8:9,10  Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who were interpreting for the people said to them, “Don’t weep on such a day as this!  For today is a sacred day before the LORD your God.”  All the people had been weeping as they listened to the words of the law.  And Nehemiah continued, “Go and celebrate with a feast of choice foods and sweet drinks, and share gifts of food with people who have nothing prepared.  This is a sacred day before our Lord.  Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”

       The people were weeping because they heard the Word and understood how far from God and His ways they had wandered.  They saw themselves as a people rejected by God because of their sin.  They were overcome with the lostness of their souls.  What the people were experiencing was not a bad thing.  Before restoration can take place, there must be remorse and repentance. 

       Evidently the weeping did not stop.  After a while, Nehemiah encouraged the people and helped them to realize that they ought to stop their weeping of remorse and start rejoicing for they had just experienced God through His Word.  God had not abandoned them!  He showed them the error of their ways and called them back to himself.  God had not left them; they had left Him.  And now, they had come back to Him!

        It truly is a time of great celebration when hearts are restored to a right relationship with God.  We ought to rejoice with those who rejoice that they have been made right with God.  I wonder how well we do this, especially if it’s someone we have issues with.  Should we not be able to celebrate with pure joy when someone is touched by our Master’s hand? 

      Dear friend, savor the joy of God’s restoration; it is a sacred event.  It is a time for much praise and thanksgiving.  It is a time to truly worship the Lord.

A SACRED DAY

A SACRED DAY

Neh. 8:10  Nehemiah continued, “Go and celebrate with a feast of choice foods and sweet drinks, and share gifts of food with people who have nothing prepared.  This is a sacred day before the LORD.  Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the LORD is your strength!”

      Do you have a sacred day?  Do you have a day set aside in which you set aside the normal routines of your life and focus on the Lord?  Do you gather with other believers for worship, edification, and fellowship?  And if you have such a day, what difference is it making in your life?

      A sacred day is essential for the life of our souls.  God makes it clear that we are to have a day of rest and renewal.  He instructs us to set aside a day where He is the focus of it.  It is a day in which we are to rest from our labors.  It is a day whereby we are to learn from Him and let Him grow us stronger in faith.  It is a day when we are to gather with other like-minded believers for our common good and worship.  It is a day that we are not to treat lightly.  It is our meeting day with God.

      We have gotten farther and farther away from embracing the thought of a sacred day in our lives.  We may block out an hour or two of our day for spiritual connection and renewal, but that is about it.  Most will resume their normal work week activities as soon as they have “fulfilled their Christian duty.”  Many have gotten the idea that we are doing God a favor by giving Him a part of our day.

      We should never come to the close of our sacred day so tired that we dread the start of a new week.  We need time in our lives for renewal and restoration.  We need quality and quantity time with the Lord.  We not only hurt ourselves, but we hurt the cause of Christ when we fail to let Him direct the activities of our sacred day.  A worn out and weary soul will stumble and fall under the heavy load of living.