The Book of the Law of the LORD their God was read aloud to them for about three hours. Then for three more hours they took turns confessing their sins and worshiping the LORD their God…. Then they [the Israelites] continued, “Praise his glorious name! It is far greater than we can think or say. You alone are the LORD. You made the skies and the heavens and all the stars. You made the earth and the seas and everything in them. You preserve and give life to everything, and all the angels of heaven worship you.” (Nehemiah 9:3, 5b-6, NLT)
There were a number of things that spoke to me as I read chapters 9-10 of Nehemiah this morning. One was that when people (like those in the verses quoted above) hear the Word of God, it should always cause us to confess, repent, and worship. If believers really listen, it will do exactly that.
Following the verses quoted above, the Israelites detailed to God the history of their people, from Abram through Moses and on to the destruction of the Temple and their captivity in Babylon. So it made me wonder this: How often do Christians stop in their activity and remember all that God has done for them?
Because I speak at women’s retreats several times a year, I often give the testimony of both my salvation and how God brought me into a ministry of writing for Him. I also share many of the ways He has worked in my life, the lessons He has taught me. And every time I share these things, I am reminded that I am not alone. He has rescued me in the past. He is able to rescue me in the future. His grace is sufficient.
I believe remembering what He’s done in our lives is so important. It’s so easy to get caught up in living and forget the wonderful ways God has touched us. We need to stop and remember. In Nehemiah 9:26, the Israelites said: “But when all was going well, your people turned to sin again…” Does that sound familiar? God blesses us, rescues us, and then things are going well and we turn to Him less and to His word less and before you know it…. Yep. We sin again.
I want to cling to God in the good times as well as in the bad. I want to hide His word in my heart and stay on the right path rather than get off on rabbit trails. I want to stop and remember on a regular basis the marvelous things God has done and, even more, remember how marvelous He is.
In the grip of His grace,
Robin
