Thought of the day:
Then he read from it in the open square that was in front of the Water Gate from morning until midday, before the men and women and those who could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law. Now on the second day the heads of the fathers’ houses of all the people, with the priests and Levites, were gathered to Ezra the scribe, in order to understand the words of the Law. Also day by day, from the first day until the last day, he read from the Book of the Law of God. And they kept the feast seven days; and on the eighth day there was a sacred assembly, according to the prescribed manner. And they stood up in their place and read from the Book of the Law of the Lord their God for one -fourth of the day; and for another fourth they confessed and worshiped the Lord their God. Reference Nehemiah 8:3,13,18,9:3 NKJV
Something happened in Jerusalem when God’s Word was read openly. There was a Revival that happened. People, when confronted with their sins, repented and even mourned that they had fallen away from God. They read, heard and applied God’s Word immediately.
Yes, we know from reading Nehemiah, that the scroll of the Law was found during the repairs at the temple. We understand that it is implied that the people of Israel did not have access to His Word. However, they still were able to share it verbally. So, why the change now? Because they understood that God was delivering them from their captivity.
We have access to The Word Of God in many ways that wasn’t available to the Israelites then. We can look it up on the web, download apps, ask for and usually receive a Bible from a church or ministry, find it available on libraries, and the ways go on. Our problem is not so different from the Israelites in Nehemiah’s time. We’ve become numb, jaded, bored, and distracted. We allow the things of the world to influence us to not read or listen or learn from God’s Word. Sound familiar? This is exactly what happened with the Israelites before they were taken into captivity in Babylon.
We should learn from history what is best for us. Instead, we decide that we know better and won’t make the same mistakes. The problem is that we repeat history.
We need to remove any distractions from our lives to spend time in The Word Of God. It should be something that causes change to happen in our lives. We cannot and should not become bored but instead, see The Love Of God and see how exciting it is.
Today, if you haven’t already, start a habit of reading, listening, and studying God’s Word and allow it to transform you.
