I started in on the book of Nehemiah today. In chapter 1, Nehemiah mourns the wreck of Jerusalem, but he knows that Israel has been unfaithful to God, and they need to return to Him if they want to be restored. Nehemiah doesn't hold onto patriotic pride before God, saying they can do no wrong, but instead confesses the sins of his country, his family, and himself. That doesn't mean that he doesn't sympathize with them, but he knows confession is the first step to setting things right. If I want things to change for the better spiritually on a national scale, I need to identify with the nation, and with the sins of the nation, and confess them to God.
In chapter 2, Nehemiah makes himself available for God to use him to bring about the restoration of his nation. God grants him favour with the king, and he sets out to rebuild. I believe that I need to make myself available to be used by God in whatever capacity He would have me working, to restore unity among the church, and godliness in the nation.
No comments:
Post a Comment