Day 34 & 35
Ezra & Nehemiah
Both of these are in some way about restoration. About prayer, trust, and the law as a foundation of society.
God answers the prayers of his faithful people, God can bring reform in unfaithfulness, and God protects his chosen people. He works in and through us to accomplish his plan.
I can relate with these readings in that at times I've felt exiled. From God, from whomever. Felt there needed to be a personal time of purging and purification. Of confession about disobedience. So that spiritual refinement can then be found. Rebuilding started. Revival begun.
In these books it was restoration of a people, a country, a temple, and a covenant.
For us it can be our family, our community, our church, our country.
Nehemiah's willingness to leave the security of the present for the unknown of the future teaches us trust and daily dependence on God.
Faith isn't easy. Habits are hard to break. As we see time and time again in a leader or a country falling back into familiar patterns of disobedience.
Sometimes we need to decide enough is enough with our fizzled out faith or lackluster love for our Lord -- and decide to "wholeheartedly" do what Nehemiah 2:18 says...
"Let us start rebuilding."
And how can we do that?
Nehemiah 8:10 tells us how...
"...the joy of the Lord is your strength."
