Glad to Understand

Nehemiah 8 is a chapter which illustrates very well the personal impact of how understanding God's word impacts people who are united to seek Him.  Reading God's word is not like a chemical reaction which is predictable, for at times we are not receptive to hear or take action on what God has said and is saying to us.  In the children of Israel we see a good example of people who gathered together to build the walls of Jerusalem and sought to obey the LORD who protected, provided and made their efforts fruitful.

Ezra the scribe and Nehemiah gathered the people together with the elders to read the Law of Moses and explain it to the people so they could understand it.  Hearing God's word had a profound affect on the people, for they realised they and their fathers had sinned against the LORD and they wept.  Their minds, hearts and souls were moved by the word of God and felt sorrow and remorse.  Nehemiah 8:11-12 says, "So the Levites quieted all the people, saying, "Be still, for the day is holy; do not be grieved." ¹² And all the people went their way to eat and drink, to send portions and rejoice greatly, because they understood the words that were declared to them."

The Law of Moses that made a distinction between righteous and sinful conduct also taught concerning holy days.  Whilst the conduct of the people previously had been wrong, instead of mourning they were to rejoice.  The people obeyed God's word to feast, send portions and rejoice greatly because "they understood the words that were declared to them."  See how understanding what God said filled His people with joy!  They delighted to hear and obey the word spoken to them by God, and we ought to be the same.  Reading God's word should not be relegated to a duty or chore because He has given us an invitation and opportunity to understand Him.  Do you rejoice, believer, that you understand the word God has declared to you?

Understanding God's word leads to exciting discovery and personal revival.  As they read the scripture the people realised God had commanded the people to make tabernacles and dwell in them, something they had not done even before the captivity of Israel in Babylon.  The people send out messengers to proclaim they were going to gather according to the word of the LORD, and Nehemiah 8:17 reads:  "So the whole assembly of those who had returned from the captivity made booths and sat under the booths; for since the days of Joshua the son of Nun until that day the children of Israel had not done so. And there was very great gladness."  Isn't that amazing?  King Saul, king David and king Solomon had reigned over all Israel and even in their day there had never been such a gathering since the days of Joshua when the nation of Israel was in its infancy.  You see, in the days of Nehemiah when there was no king anointed to rule God once again was their KING and they delighted to hear, understand and obey His word with gladness.

Jesus Christ is the KING OF KINGS, and how blessed we are to hear and understand Him through the power of the Holy Spirit who indwells us.  When we read God's word it ought to have a similar impact on us:  we ought to mourn our sin, rejoice to obey the LORD, be glad to understand God's word, be moved to walk in obedience to what God reveals and experience the joy of the LORD that is our strength.  The words we read in the Bible are more than words on a page but the word of God we can understand.  It is a world of discovery about God and His ways that excites our minds, hearts and souls to draw near to Him and proclaim His goodness with gladness.

Remembering God's Works

Having faith in God does not mean a person is perpetually positive and impervious to pains, struggles, troubles and doubts.  While our human weakness at times can spring from a lack of faith, in our weakness God's strength is made perfect because His grace is sufficient for us.  This idea that the believer becomes superhuman with a biblical worldview cannot be sustained by the efforts of the flesh, knowledge or a formulaic approach to trials.  We believers remain needy:  we need reminders, to meditate on what God has said and done, and proclaim the reality of His goodness in the land of the living.

Asaph arrived at this conclusion as he struggled through a sleepless night in Psalm 77.  When he was troubled and overwhelmed he cried out to God and was heard by Him.  Based on how he felt Asaph wondered if God was done being gracious and merciful, if God no longer kept His promises.  Psalm 77:10-12:  "And I said, "This is my anguish; but I will remember the years of the right hand of the Most High." ¹¹ I will remember the works of the LORD; surely I will remember Your wonders of old. ¹² I will also meditate on all Your work, and talk of Your deeds."  Asaph wisely understood his present anguish was not a reflection of how or what God was doing.  Instead of focusing on his troubles, he chose to remember and meditate on all the wondrous things God had done in the past.

In the verses that follow, Asaph considered the amazing deliverance of God's people from slavery and bondage in Egypt.  He remembered them miraculously departing Egypt and how they passed through the Red Sea that stood at attention before God who led them through walls of water on the right hand and left.  They passed through the depths of the sea on dry ground and everyone made it safely to the other side.  The Egyptians who pursued relentlessly with chariots and horses were confounded in the depths, their wheels fell off and they tried in vain to retreat.  God caused the waters to return upon the heads of the Egyptian army and they all perished.  The nation of Israel was birthed out of the Red Sea with rejoicing and celebrated their God who delivers and saves.

Two groups of people went into the depths of the sea:  one emerged rejoicing and victorious by the power of God, and the other perished without hope.  There are two groups of people who experience anguish, troubled minds and sleepless nights, and those who remember and meditate on God and His marvelous works will be ultimately led to joy and peace that passes understanding.  Those who grit their teeth and fight to achieve their aims by their own strength will be cast down and unable to rise on their own.  Praise the LORD He is able to lift up those who cannot stand and free those who are in bondage to fears, cares and worries.  Let us be those who talk of God's deeds often, for it serves to glorify God while reminding and instructing us to consider God Who leads us through the depths to deliver.

Inspires to Shine

Yesterday I had a discussion with someone who is preparing to sit an exam.  I was asked, "Do you have any motivational or inspirational quotes?"  In the moment nothing came to mind.  I suppose the cliche approach to offer a one liner like the cat poster in the The Lego Movie simply captioned "Believe!" or another that says, "Hang in there!"  Playful images and cliches cannot provide any reasons or suitable answers for the persistent doubts that can plague us or how to live life wisely.  Cute doesn't cut it.

In thinking it over from a biblical perspective, God supplies motivation and inspiration in abundance for us to do what pleases Him.  Our motives are to be guided by the fear, love and glory of God.  The world operates in a totally contrary way and suggests we must believe in ourselves and great inspiration comes from following the desires of our hearts in the pursuit of our dreams.  We are liable to hijack statements in the Bible as motivational sayings by stripping the words from the context and applying them in the hope of fulfilling our own agendas.

When Paul said in Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me," it was written in the context he had learned to be content whether he had abundance or lacked, how he was taught contentment in Christ by being abased, hungry or full.  God told Joshua, "Have I not commanded you?  Be strong and of good courage."  This wasn't advice for Joshua to trust or believe in himself to overcome obstacles to accomplish his plans but to trust and rely upon God and boldly do what God commanded:  to lead the children of Israel across the Jordan river, drive out the enemies in Canaan and to distribute to each tribe an inheritance.

The greatest inspiration and motivation that can be found is by faith in God Himself.  He is more lovely than the most breathtaking views in nature or the awe-inspiring glimpses of distant constellations.  The willingness of people to suffer for worthy causes can be inspirational, but nothing compares to the gracious sacrifice Jesus made to redeem lost sinners through His own death and resurrection.  Knowledge of God, His love and power is not rightfully used to goad us to try harder and do better for ourselves, but to offer ourselves willingly to God so He would be glorified, to do all as unto Him because He alone is worthy of honour, praise and majesty.

Believers in Jesus already have the assurance of eternal life and an everlasting reward.  This ought to inspire us to walk worthy of the love, grace and goodness God has provided for us.  Do you find God's love inspirational, a motivation to do what pleases Him?  The revelation of God and His love for us ought to prompt us to seek and serve the LORD with rejoicing, for He is our life and reason for living.  Believe in Jesus Christ and hang in there friends, for God has not left us hanging!  Jesus hung on a cross, was buried in a tomb and rose from the dead to prove His victory over sin and death and gives abundant life to all who trust in Him.  May Jesus be the reason we rise every morning and shine brighter than the sun by His grace.

Faithful to His Word

"Then the other disciple, who came to the tomb first, went in also; and he saw and believed. ⁹ For as yet they did not know the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead."

John 20:8-9

After the disciples of Jesus heard the body of Jesus was no longer in the tomb, some ran to investigate.  Peter and John are described as looking into the empty tomb, saw the graveclothes lying there with the headcovering folded neatly by itself, and they believed.  They believed the body of Jesus was not in the tomb based upon what they saw, yet John 20:9 shows the scripture had already revealed the truth of Christ's resurrection from the dead.  God has given us eyes and physical senses we are to use wisely and can confirm the truth of what God has already said.

I love that God's work is not dependent upon the perfect knowledge of God's people.  God is sovereign and rules over all, able to accomplish His plans despite the ignorance of those who fear and trust Him.  The disciples did not at the time know the scripture, yet the passage is clear they would come to know and believe it.  The Bible has many examples of people who needed to see to believe, and others who believed without seeing.  Both groups can have genuine faith that brings honour and glory to God.  Our gracious heavenly Father knows what is required to convince mankind of the truth, and using both our senses and the word of God we are brought to greater understanding.

Women who visited the tomb reported the body of Jesus had been taken from the tomb, and later Mary Magdalene reported she had seen the risen LORD Jesus.  The disciples did not act like Jesus had risen from the dead, for they assembled behind locked doors for fear of the Jews.  Suddenly Jesus stood in the midst and proclaimed peace to them.  From then on they ascribed belief in the resurrection of Jesus and told Thomas, who was not with them the first night of the week, that they had seen the LORD.  It was not until Jesus personally appeared to Thomas and bid him touch His wounds Thomas gladly proclaimed, "My LORD and my God."

How good is the word of God to prepare us by revealing Jesus is LORD!  Consider how valuable the revelation by the word of the LORD was to the virgin Mary when she was told the Holy Spirit would cause her to conceive and bring forth a Son.  She believed the word of God spoken to her and did not assume her morning sickness was indigestion or had concern her abdominal swelling could be a tumour!  Belief in what God has said and revealed in the scripture gives us understanding and a basis for personal faith in the LORD.  May the word of God and His wisdom direct us to reliance and dependence upon Jesus as LORD, our risen Saviour who is worthy of all trust.