Text: Nehemiah 13
Sometimes real life can be a lot like church camp. All sweaty and sunburned, God shows us our sin, a new passion is lit within us and we commit or recommit our lives to obedience and Christian music every twelve months or so.
Of course, it doesn’t take long before our church camp high wears off. We aren’t going to chapel twice a day, the songs we sing at church aren’t nearly as hip, we aren’t eating lunch across the table from our youth pastor, and doggone it, our parents just don’t understand.
It’s a little humorous when we think of the Israelites as middle school campers, but it’s a lot less pretty when we think of their pattern of disobedience as church members, leaders, and spouses.
God has just done an awesome thing for them – He has rebuilt their wall and restored their gates. Not only that, the Israelites have also been restored spiritually. They’re a city again, brought back from exile and thriving in every way. Honestly, I think many of them wondered if they’d ever see this day again. And so, they re-covenanted with God (10:37-39). And this time, they reallydomeanit.
Only, Nehemiah goes back to Babylon to serve the king. All their confessing and campfire songs have become a clouded memory. And Israel is forgetting their covenant – forgetting their God – again.
Why do you think Nehemiah ends the way it does? With failure and backsliding? With corruption and disobedience? What does God want us to see here about Himself and the Church?
I would love to give you a tidy list of bullet points here with all the reasons why I think so. But instead, I see this as an awesome opportunity to share as a community. What is God telling us here? Why did He sovereignly inspire the book of Nehemiah in this way?
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And, a little bit of happy news:
This Saturday, June 1st, SheReadsTruth is turning 1 year old! Can you believe it! God has been so faithful, so near, and so alive in our community over the past twelve months, all we want to do it point to Him and say, “WOW!”
For fun and for His glory, we invite you to participate in a vlog (yes, video! we want to see your faces!!) link-up this Saturday. We know that God has been mightily at work this year, and we want to hear from you –
How have you seen His faithfulness this year?
How has the Holy Spirit wrecked and rebuilt you?
What truths have you read in His Word that have drawn you closer and deeper in relationship with Him?
This is about Him, sisters. Take the time, set up a video camera or an iPhone or that little camera on your laptop. Wear your jammies or an evening gown, shower or throw on a ball cap, talk for thirty seconds or thirty minutes – it’s up to you! Just say hello, introduce yourself, and testify to His goodness is a day filled with praise. On Saturday you’ll have the opportunity to link to this video (whether it’s posted on your blog, uploaded to YouTube, shared on Facebook or on Twitter), and we will all be able to visit one another and hear (and watch) testimony after testimony of his great love.
So SRT, "Here we go again" can also be a cliffhanger for what's next? Can't wait!!! Which book will it be and how soon do we start??? Looking forward to the celebration of your 1 year and vlog sharing but mostly to continuing in God's Word with YOU ALL!
I have so enJOYed this! You are each such a blessing. Thank you SRT team and commUnity! I really love digging with you in God's Word for the Truth and studying an actual book in the Bible (instead of a person's book, though those studies are good too, this is where we need to focus – God's Word living and transforming us one truth at a time! Bless you SRT for the wonderful work you each do and your time given to benefit us in growing in our faith and discipline. This is such a wonderful habit for me, to come online and open SRT (besides being in my Bookmark bar and YouVersion) SRT now shows up on my most popular… for the many times I come here.
I, too am like Candacejo (Nanette) and Carolynmimi that I check back whenever I can and especially at the end of the day to catch any nuggets that any of you may have shared.
Let this celebration begin and ON to the NEXT STUDY!!! :0) (((hugs))) and blessings for a super weekend!!!
Peggy
Is there a male version to this page? Ive read a few IG posts and love these readings!
Thanks God Bless
I have male friends who have also asked…any suggestions?
Wow! God has spoken to me in many ways during this devotional. Ive read Nehemiah many times, I even wrote a curiculumn for it about 10 years ago. Each time I venture in I come out with something different. Not bad different, but good different. I am convienced that true revelation comes at levels/seasons in your life. The Word never changes but we do. There were times in my life that the meat of this Word would not have digested.
I came away with being a more focused leader. A just and fair leader. How to not get so wrapped up in the completion of the task as we forget why and for whom we toll.
I came away with how important to show up. No dodging. The job will be done, God always is preparing a cupbearer. How blessed you are if the job has been entrusted to you.
Like so many have already mentioned, we have a wandering heart. Period. I, too, loved the church camp analogy. It brings back a lot of memories of all those tearful commitments that were so quickly forgotten once I was back with my high school friends. Then the deep conviction that I had failed, yet again.
And that is the story from the beginning of time. The harder I strive on my own, the deeper I wrestle with my own human futility. There is nothing I can do about. I am powerless to save myself. When will humankind get it straight? Whatever we touch, without the unction of the Lord, we mess up. Even today, I read about all the advances in genetic modification (aren't we so smart…) and wonder what disaster is about to come upon us.
One line in the chapter we read today stands out for me. I can't shake it. When the Ammonites and Moabites had "hired" Baalam to curse the Israelites Nehemiah says this, "our God turned the curse into a blessing." Wow. How true. How awesome is our God that He can turn the curses…and even all the things that we mess up on our own, into a blessing. For His glory! He has provided redemption. And it has nothing to do with me….except that I am willing to give up my own life to let Him lead it. Amen.
Celebrating your 1 Year Anniversary with you SRT ladies! Looking forward to seeing much more to come!
Thank you for all of your prayers! My mother-in-law is out of surgery and it went exceptionally well. Praise the Lord!! They think they actually got all of the tumor and it was benign. She is already awake and moving well. There is still a risk of swelling and seizures, so please continue to pray for that.
Thanks for the update!
Thank You Lord for this PRAISE report! Thank You that it was benign! Thank You for guiding the surgeon's hands and being there each step of the way. Please bring speedy recovery and healing, strength and comfort along the way. Be with each need of the family members during this healing process with Your Divine touch. We ask for Your supernatural protection against seizures and swelling, bring total restoration to her as You created her in Jesus' name. Surround and encourage this family, tnlsmom, her husband and each one… to You be the glory, thanks, praise and honor forever…
Praise God! Thank you for letting us know! Still praying for the following days and weeks of recovery ahead.
Praise God!
OK, after dwelling on this all night and so far this morning… (yes, I have more) … God knows our human situation. God loves His chosen people. God wants us to always come to Him like Nehemiah daily in PRAYER for all our decisions and include Him in our choices, even with our free will and attempts to be in His will, He knew that we would mess up (time and time again) even after being called, dedicated, purified, restored, etc. (like the Israelites) that we might see ourselves in them (without so much judgment of them but looking at our own mirror first or consequently) HE KNEW that "WE NEED a MESSIAH to REDEEM US of ALL our MESSES" (taken from a quote or talk I heard Lysa TerKeurst say and it stuck in me) This is why we see MESS in MESSIAH! Only Jesus' and the Holy Spirit can give us the power and redeem us when we repent and come to Him for help, guidance, transformation and our redemption. We daily are being sanctified as we look to Him, His Word and His Kingdom! All for God's glory…
(hopefully I'm done) Many blessings and enJOY a great day as we prepare for our celebration here!!! WOO HOO!
Peggy
Honestly? I keep seeing Nehemiah’s prayer… “Remember me, O my God!” It’s what the book ends on. When the work we do is complete and no one notices. When the words we say for encouragement or support or edification fall on deaf ears. When the good we do falls by the wayside…Lord, remember me! It’s not for the applause or the memorials. It’s not so that people will say that we’ve worked hard. It’s for God and His glory, and He will remember us!
Don't know what happened to my REPLY… so here I go again!
Amen! yep Jeniffer… that's what stood out to me too! (4 times REMEMBER is repeated so it must be important)… What a really good point you made about "wanting to be noticed"/ … often we DO just for the applause or the attention or being noticed or thanks (and often we aren't) so we look to God to REMEMBER us and we need to REMEMBER HIM and DO it just for His Glory! Really well said…
I thought I shared this above but maybe not about REMEMBER ME, O MY GOD (not mine but in my notes):
"Four times the words 'Remember me" are used in this chapter. Each time they capture the difficult and unpleasant time it was for Nehemiah to be that pressure that God used to help rescue the people. Each "Remember" prayer brought him to God asking to bring His divine grace into an otherwise very unpleasant task. … look at these four shaping events (Restoring Sanctity in the Temple (13:1-14); Restoring Sacredness to the Sabbath (13:15-22); Restoring Purity to God's People (13:23-29); Restoring All Things to Its Design (13:30-31) as positive ones where God was encouraging the people to choose the best rather than tolerating the worst. We will naturally resist this shaping but it is best for us. God our Father is the model parent who brings the best into His childrens' lives even though it is difficult."
this last part goes with jomegs comment above…
Thanks Jeniffer for your insights! I gave you a thumbs up but it didn't show …just 0
Congratulations SRT!!!
While reading Nehemiah some times I would get upset with the ppl, thinking you are right their with God and you still can’t obey! But then I was reminded that this isn’t about the ppl but about the Love and forgiveness of God!
Yep and it upset me because I saw myself as those ppl. I have Jesus who died to take away my sins and there I go again.. When will I get it right!!
It’s awesome that God is a forgiving God but I still hate that I sin! I love that he loves me so much that he forgives me but yet I hate that I sin!
Reading this book has also shown me we need good, honest and open leadership. Nehemiah corrected the ppl several times and sometime “well I have found” that some leaders are just too quite about sin. Nehemiah was a challenge for me to read because I saw myself so many times and ways. I think it ended this way to show me at least, that no one is perfect and that I will fail God ” yet again” but Gods love will never fail. And that I need to be under strong leadership so that I can get the correction I need. Currently I am not tied to a church because I don’t feel led to be with any of the ones I visited.
I saw in the reading how Nehemiah was able to get the ppl back on the right track even though the failed when he left. The second time he came back and cleaned house so to speak and straighten them out again. God did not let them stay in their mess. I need a leader like that so I’m praying and believing that God will send me to a leader that can be straight with me as Nehemiah was with them.