Nehemiah 12:27-13:31 , 1 Corinthians 11:3-16 , Psalms 35:1-16 , Proverbs 21:17-18
Today is the 17th day of Auuuuugust (Brian pronounces August a it a little weirdly and laughs abut it)…although I don’t think that’s really how you say it…but August. It’s the 17th day of August How are you in the middle of this month and at the end of this workweek? Hope you’re doing well. And no matter how you’re doing, this is the right place to find some serenity and some peace and some quiet and some stillness and allow God’s word to speak as we move forward and take the next step. And this week we’ve been reading from the Good News Translation. And, so, that’s what we’ll do. Nehemiah chapter 12 verse 27 through 13 verse 31 today.
Commentary:
Okay. So, we concluded the book of Nehemiah today with the dedication of the wall surrounding Jerusalem. And two choirs processed their way in opposite directions atop this newly completed wall. That must’ve been this moment of divine satisfaction for Nehemiah because it had been a very challenging and opposed task, but for all that they endured God had been faithful. With His guidance, the mission had been accomplished. And Nehemiah returned to Babylon to serve king Artaxerxes’s afterward, but he was later granted permission to return and when he did he discovered how quickly the people began to drift away from all that they had vowed before God. Eliashib, the supervisor of the temple storerooms allowed Tobia, who had been one of the chief instigators of intimidation and discouragement during the building of the wall, he gave him access to a large storeroom within the temple to use as he pleased, because they were family related. Additionally, the Levites and singers hadn’t been resourced, right? So, they had to leave their sacred jobs to go back to their fields just to survive and to provide for themselves and their families, which, of course, negatively affected the worship, the prescribed worship at the temple, which was already being neglected. And the people also began to ignore the Sabbath in favor of trade and commerce, which horrified Nehemiah. And finally, the people began to intermarry again with the surrounding nations. So, it’s like, Nehemiah left with everything moving in the right direction and he returned to find that everything was moving in the wrong direction, the very direction that had destroyed them in the first place. So, in the face of this discouragement, this is a good lesson for us as we are enduring because nothing stays. Like, we can get everything moving in the right direction, but it’s not going to stay that way unless it’s maintained in our own lives and in our own relationships. So, in the face of the discouragement of Nehemiah, he turned to God. He asked God to remember all that he had done out of a true heart on behalf of the people. And that shows us another important example in leadership. In the end, we can’t always influence people to do the right thing but we can do the right thing ourselves and we can follow God’s leadership by stewarding ourselves and taking responsibility for what He entrusted us to do. If we do this with a pure heart we can also pray the final words of Nehemiah. Remember this in my favor oh my God.
Prayer:
Father, we invite You into that. We invite You into everything that we encounter in Your word and ask Your Holy Spirit to speak to us, implant it in our lives. We have faced discouragement because we’ve tried to encourage people who do not want to make any kind of change. And often this exposes things in us, our controlling tendencies. We get bitter and angry that they will do what we want and then we realize, oh, we’re doing this to You too. That path won’t lead us anywhere. The path that Nehemiah shows us will. Although he couldn’t change everyone’s heart, he certainly could give his heart to You and follow You. And, so, we do this and we ask Lord that You remember the things that we’ve done out of a true and pure heart for Your people. And we pray this in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Announcements:
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And that’s it for today. I’m Brian I love you and I’ll be waiting for you here tomorrow.
Community Prayer and Praise:
Hello. This is Tony from Germany and I want to just call in, just to give thanks for our prayer warriors. And Victoria Soldier you always come to mind. Your prayers are so beautiful, rich, and powerful. And now I’m hearing Sonja from Tampa. And Sonja, please don’t stop calling. You speak to my soul the way you pray and it’s…I…I would love to pray like you do and I guess that is just with time maybe or maybe it’s just your beautiful gift. And you speak to me. Your prayers resonate with my soul about how powerful our prayers can be and how we can bring down God’s power here on earth, bring down His kingdom. So, I just want to thank every…the prayer warriors…and I am missing a number…but you too just really come to mind and I thank you. So, I just wanted to speak. I pray everyone is doing well. I’m grateful to be part of this DAB community. You…it is so important to me. It is an integral part of my life. God bless everyone.
Hey __ from Alabama. August 14th. I don’t know if you caught Nehemiah 8 verse 9 and 10, when the people heard with the law are required they were so moved they began to cry. So, Nehemiah who was a governor __ and the Levites were explaining all this. The law told the people, this day is holy to the Lord your God. So, you are not to mourn or cry. Go home, have a feast, share your food and wine with those who don’t have enough. Today is holy to our Lord. So, don’t be sad. Catch this, the joy that the Lord gives you will make you strong. Did you catch that? __ and how much we need grace and mercy. Then let’s not mourn her cry all the time over our past. Know you are forgiven child of God. Today, this day, is holy because you have been made holy by the blood of Jesus. So, don’t be sad. Go have a feast. Go share with others because it’s not yours anyway. And remember this if nothing else, the joy that the Lord gives you will make you strong. So, let’s live this out in Jesus name. And one thing I want to ask, I know I’ve asked before but I appreciate your prayers. I go in tomorrow morning August 15th for an echocardiogram. A virus attacked my heart earlier this summer. It gave me congestive heart failure temporarily and I just ask that the doctors are just as amazed that this happened that they’re going to be amazed that I’m completely healed in Jesus name. Thank you. Love you. Appreciate your prayers.
Good morning dear brothers and sisters. Thank you so much for all that you do for the community, for the helping and praying for each other. I am reaching out to you folks to pray for my…my broken family. My daughter committed suicide three years ago and left four gorgeous children, two of who tried to resuscitate her and tried to help her. They were 13 and 16 of the time. They are floundering. I’ve had my granddaughter here this weekend and she was just heartbroken and said she feels like she has no home since her mom has passed. Doesn’t matter where she goes it just feels wrong. And now she found a boyfriend at the age of 16 and her boyfriend is 18 and he’s an atheist. And her dad and stepmom have kicked her out of the house because they feel like they need to live by the letter of the law as opposed to grace. And I know we do need to be obedient to the calling of the Lord and I just pray that you would reach out and pray for my daughter’s children. The oldest is into pornography and has a young girlfriend himself who he is living with. And these children are just lost and we all are. And my ex-husband, the day that he and I split up, threw something across the yard and said, for God’s damnation upon whatever. And I just feel like all of this, because I chose to leave husband has ultimately broken up the family in such a way. I’m remarried __ even a brand-new marriage. So, I pray that the peace of God of all understanding. He is the God of understanding…
Hi family. This is his little Sharif in Canada. I just finished listening to the community prayer and I just love the diversity of this community, don’t you? I love hearing the different voices. And it reminded me that we are supposed to be this way. We’re meant to be different from one another. That’s what makes the body of Christ beautiful. So, I just wanted to call in and remind you and myself that there is no place for comparison in the body of Christ because each of us is completely unique. I mean, how sad would it be if Victoria Soldier felt second-rate because she didn’t write poems like Blind Tony or if Blind Tony didn’t call in because he doesn’t sound or pray like Victoria Soldier. Everyone who is part of this community contributes something vital and they do it just by adding their DNA to the mix, those who don’t, and as much as those who do. So guys…ahhh…the truth is, each one of us is Jesus’ favorite. Did you know that? When we know and experience that, His specific and unique affection for each one of us, it frees us from measuring ourselves against someone else. So, I just want to thank you all for embracing me as I am, his little Sharif who prays with doodles and puzzles and whatever else. And I want to thank you for being exactly who you are. Please don’t try to be anyone else. We need you to be you and I like you the way you are. So, thank you so much for being a part of this community. I love you family, each one of you. God bless you. Bye-bye.