Yes, we did make a huge jump from the earlier part of Nehemiah to chapter nine. A tremendous amount of astonishing God moments occurred between chapters four and nine. Actually, we have spent three weeks studying chapter eight on Sunday mornings.

Chapter nine is a beautiful moment in Israel’s history. What I want to convey in the devotionals assigned to chapter nine is that only God can produce this authentic response to His grace and mercy.

Here is how this thought plays out in our lives. There are things that you and I long for internally. That is, in our souls we desire to know fullness, to be robust in contentment and love.

God leads us into these deeper things. The formula does not exist, I don’t care what you heard or what book you have read. Contentment and fulfillment originate in being led by God.

Psalm 23:2 He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.

You might think that the book of Nehemiah is about the exploits of a called man, obeying God, walking by faith. Nehemiah is a courageous man who opposed the enemy and did what was right. You are right, Nehemiah is a reformer, God is leading the people through him.

Take a step back and see that God is leading. God is steadily moving His people toward robust contentment and deep satisfaction. Why wouldn’t He? What father or mother wouldn’t want their dearly loved child to experience the same? How satisfied are you as a parent when you see the robust contentment and deep satisfaction in the life of your child?

God is deeply satisfied when you are deeply satisfied, and you recognize where it came from.

Have you seen God at work in this book? Steadily moving the people of God into a position to fellowship with Him? God is pouring out blessing on His people.

God has not changed His way. He moves in your life the same way. There isn’t likely a Nehemiah in the flesh, for you. Jesus is our Nehemiah – the work of rebuilding and restoring, Jesus did that on the cross.

There are mini-Nehemiah’s everywhere. When you take up your cross and follow Jesus day-by-day, you will undoubtedly become a mini-Nehemiah to someone along the way.

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What is the next step for God’s people?

Confession

The people of Israel tasted the horrors of bondage and slavery. God invited them out of it and into safety, peace, rest, restored identity, purpose and fellowship with Him. God mandated that they build the walls and the city – the temple too. They protected what they built. They stood guard and valued what God was doing, even though they have not yet understood how good it would or could be.

What they tasted, was good.

Psalm 34:8 Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!

Within people is the desire to understand why we experience brokenness. Why we fall into the same pit again and again. Or, why severe hardship and sorrow penetrates our lives. In the case of Israel, they knew it was sin, the sin of rebelling against God and going their own way.

Now that God restored relationship through His love and mercy, the people are rectifying, verbalizing to God where they went off track. Confession.

Make confession a regular part of your life. Please do not believe the lie that confession is obsolete. Or that asking for forgiveness of God and others is passe. Confession is where God leads us, it is not the finish point but a definite stop along the way.

Father, would You help us learn from the people of Israel. You are leading us and moving us closer to where You want us to be. We believe that You desire robust contentment for us. We receive that from You because nothing in all creation can provide what You provide. Thank You for having a heart for us and providing Your best to us. Thank You for Your Son Jesus, who gave His life to ransom our lives.
Blessings,

Pastor D