Strength & Grace for Holy Living
The first half of Nehemiah teaches lessons about working for God; the second emphasises worshipping Him. Beginning with chapter 8 the account centers on the spiritual rather than physical well-being of the people. The public reading and explanation of God’s Word bring a sweeping revival to the city. Rejoicing at the sound of God’s precious laws as preached by Ezra the priest, the people respond with prayers of confession, worship to God and a fresh resolve to live godly lives in keeping with their commitment.
Lord, we Seek Your Strength &
Your Mercy to follow after You:
Nehemiah who was the governor,
said: Do not mourn nor weep…
Don’t be dejected and sad, for the
Joy of the Lord is yr Strength… So
the pple went away to eat & drink &
to celebrate with great joy because
they had heard God’s words and
understood them (Neh 8:9-12).
Yet for many years U had patience
with them, & testified against them
by Your Spirit in Your prophets.
Yet they would not listen. Therefore
You gave them into the hand
of the peoples of the lands. But
in Your great mercy, You did not…
abandon them, for You’re a Gracious
and merciful God (Neh 9:30-31).
And all who had separated themselves
from the pagan people of the land in
order to serve God… now all heartily
bound themselves with an oath…
They solemnly promised to carefully
follow all the commands, laws…
of the Lord their God (Neh 10:28-29).
Lord, we rejoice in the grace that You have poured out in our lives. Thank You that it is never too late to come back to You in repentance. The past can be difficult to let go of, but with Your Joy helping us, we can move forward into what You have prepared for us. Amen.
Lord, thanks for Your great mercy that You have never judged me according to what I have deserved. Thank You that Your grace toward me that is beyond comprehension. Thank You that You will never forsake me; and Help me to never forsake You in any way either. Pray that my attitude will be right before You, and that I will not take Yr grace & mercy for granted. Amen
Lord, following the build the wall,
the work wasn’t complete until the
people rebuilt their lives spiritually.
Ezra instructed the people in God’s
Word. They listened, recognised
the sin in their lives, admitted it and
took steps to remove it. Admitting
sin is not enough; for God does
not want halfhearted measures. We
must remove sin from our lives and
move God into the center of our lives.
Lord, we Seek Your Strength & Grace;
and we Seek to Follow You. Amen.