Text: Nehemiah 9:30-10:39, Ephesians 2:8-10
On Saturday we looked at the many ways the Israelites violated their covenant with God and the many ways He remained faithful in return. Today we see the people of Israel, having repented of their sins, renew their specific obligations under the Mosaic Covenant. In other words, they vow to get it right this time around.
Their repentance leads to a renewed obedience. Isn’t that the way it should be? Is repentance without renewed obedience really repentance at all?
I would like to say no. I would like to pause for a drumroll and unveil some easy-to-remember formula that enables us to obey every single time. But the truth is, the Gospel is not about formulas; it is simply about putting our trust in Jesus. It is about turning to Him again and again. And again.
The people of Israel are renewing their covenant with the Lord. They are doing so publicly and as a community. They are putting it in writing, they are signing on the dotted line. They are making specific, practical promises to God and his Church. Even though their history is full of disobedience and disappointment, they dare to name their offenses aloud before the Lord and pledge a new obedience to Him.
I want to be so daring. I want to receive the freedom of Christ so freshly with each prayer that I declare aloud and anew my allegiance to Him. Even though I will never get it exactly right, I want the guts to try.
God’s law asks more than our human brokenness can give. It did then and it does now. And so there is Christ.
There is the One who fulfills the law on our behalf.
Let us renew our covenant with Him today and believe that He will meet us. As a community, let us pray with the Psalmist, earnestly and with new fervor:
Create in us a clean heart, O God,
and renew a right spirit within us.
Cast us not away from your presence
and take not your Holy Spirit from us.
Restore to us the joy of your salvation,
and uphold us with a willing spirit. Amen.
(adapted from Psalm 51:10-12, ESV)
Thank you Lord that as I have wallowed in doubts and concerns and drifted from you that you have remained faithful awaiting my return to you. Help me to livd out my life in a way which is worthy of you and to stay true to your word.
Check out the song “white as snow” by Jon Forman. It’s based off psalm 51
I have been loving this study! I somehow got behind so I’m playing catch up.
I have been so blessed by these devotionals! Thanks ladies
Thank you, Lord, for bearing with me. Thank you for never foresaking me. Thank you for renewing in me an obedient mind & heart. I never want to neglect the house of my God. I wish I wouldn’t. I want to always keep in the forefront of my mind your great sacrifice for me. Let it always shape my heart and my actions. Let your love move in me and through me to others. Let your good works be reflected in me.
Feeling immense gratitude tonight for the freedom given to me by God through the selfless service and sacrifice made by the men and women in our armed forces, past , present, and future. God bless them and keep them safe in your abiding love.
Dang. Just… dang. Talk about convicting. There is something I have been struggling with, something very hard and dark and ugly, and I get caught up in this vicious cycle of sin and sorrow, grace and the world. I pray often that God will give me strength to be obedient, but honestly those prayers are half-hearted. Because the truth is, I don't really want to give up the sin. But this just hits me like a hard punch to the kidney.
v 37a: "And its rich yield goes to the kings whom you have set over us because of our sins."
Nehemiah's people are accutely aware that their lives are displaying the consequences of their repeated sins. All I could think of as I read this is "What things in my life are the consequences of this sin?" I can see how this sin has direct application to things in my life, other things I struggle with and my walk with God. And it's just… BOOM. In my face.
So I wrote it down. I named the sin and I named why it's hard to stop sinning in this area. And I'm going to talk to one of my accountability partners on Tuesday so I have a sense of community and support, so my repentance leads to renewed obedience of God's standards for my life.
Oh, thank you, Lord, for your word and the way it changes out hearts!
"For the people of Israel and the sons of Levi shall bring the contribution of grain, wine, and oil to the chambers, where the vessels of the sanctuary are, as well as the priests who minister, and the gatekeepers and the singers. We will not neglect the house of our God.” (vs. 39)
Lord, I love that your grace and love changes me… I love that you've given us the opportunity to be with you, to learn from you, to walk with you and to enjoy you in the biggest, most beautiful ways possible. You've not only given us opportunities… you've given us a lifetime. Lord, let me carry all of this abundant knowledge with me today.
Along with the verse that stuck out to me, I pray that I'd give all of my best– the first of my earnings, the best of my gifts, the products of my creativity and passions, the best times of my day and all my thoughts/feelings– to Him, continually, more and more. Father, show me where you want me to give you my utmost. All I have is yours; let me pour out, and don't let me neglect the health of your church nor the health of my own tent, my own body. I praise you for that, Papa. I love you. Let all these things be done relying in You. Praise you. Amen.
Be so blessed this Memorial day, girls. Walk in His grace and relying on Him, I pray we'd all give Him our utmost for His highest. Love you all.
Wowza. Even before I opened She Reads Truth this morning, I flipped my Bible open to Psalm 51. Sisters, I sinned and I sinned badly, and it's always in the light of the next day that I feel the crushing weight of it. I needed to write David's words down as my own prayer. I am an Israelite, pledging my (weak) obedience to the Lord over and over again…failing over and over again…and coming back to Him over and over again.
I am so thankful that He knew we would fail, and He made a way for us to STILL have a relationship with Him. And I am so thankful that the same grace He gave King David is the same grace He gives me.
In church yesterday, the pastor talked about how there is one debt we have to pay. A debt of love. We can never love enough and we always have to keep loving.
Because that’s the law.
But it doesn’t end there. It doesn’t end with God shaking a fist at us yelling “love everybody”. It ends (and begins) with Him giving us every resource to be able to love.
Amazing.
Mmm…yes! Without Him, we wouldn't be able to love an inch.
Thank you for this, Nadine… thank you. May the Lord give us all we need to love others as we walk in Him, always.
"It's about putting our trust in Jesus." Yes, yes, YES. Isn't that the entirety of the gospel: God loves us. Jesus died to save us. And we are to live a life filled with trust, repentance, love, and gratitude because of those two facts.
Beckey http://www.etsy.com/shop/queenbsbusywork