Day 427

Nehemiah 12:

The wall was finished, the task was complete and now came the all important celebration!  It is significant to note that celebration is seen as more than just an opportunity to relax and enjoy the fact that the task was over but it is also a proclamation to the people and to the surrounding nations that the Lord has moved and worked with them to achieve this miraculous task!  Two choirs were appointed to walk around the top of the city walls, one from each direction. The timing was planned so that they would meet up together and sing in unison as they entered the Temple!  They ringed the city with praise and ushered in a new day of blessing and prosperity.  We should be quick to celebrate all that the Lord has done.  We should be purposeful in our celebrations and we should always remember all He has done for us and be ready to shout it from the roof tops so that everyone else will know just how wonderful it is to be under His covering and supply!  What can you celebrate today?

Job 13:

Job now holds nothing back.  He accuses his friends of being ‘forgers of lies…worthless physicians’ and requests quite pointedly that they would ‘be silent and it would be your wisdom!’ He really has had enough of their pointed accusations and has taken no help from what they have offered him.  Job is in a difficult place but he still finds expressions of faith in the midst of the darkness.  He says… ‘Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him. Even so, I will defend my own ways before Him.’  Job believes that the Lord is with him but he still holds onto the fact that he is walking in his integrity before Him.  His prayer is despondent but still displays his true faith and demonstrates the important aspects of Job’s heart.  He makes two requests: that the Lord does not withdraw His hand far from him and;  that Job is never overwhelmed with dread so that he pulls away from the Lord himself.  Even under such testing and pressure…this is still a man of God!

Day 426

Nehemiah 11:

The blessing of God upon the nation now started to ‘fan-out’ from Jerusalem and touched the surrounding cities.  The city of Jerusalem needed to be strong and so a ‘ballot’ was taken in which one out of every ten families were required to live and make their home in Jerusalem.  Many people were very willing to take this part and to set up their future here, some made exchanges willingly because they wanted to dwell in more rural settings.  The Leaders stayed in Jerusalem and so did the priests and the population began to grow.  It is wonderful picture of what takes place when you get the ‘centre’ correct.  When our ‘centre’ is fixed upon Jesus, the rest of our life starts to receive blessing and prosperity.  It doesn’t stop at the spiritual level, it moves through our whole lives and impacts every single part.  Jerusalem once again became the City of God but it was only the beginning as the nation began to reform into the ‘people of God’.

Job 12:

Job fires back a quick, powerful and pointed rebuke.  He calls his counsellors foolish and empty of thought.  He is confident that it is not sin which has brought him to this but the hand of the Lord.  He does not know what is happening in heaven but he knows that something is going on.  His friends are berating him and adding to his pain but they need to understand the power and majesty of the Lord.  Job lists again His attributes, His abilities, His achievements and the depths of His thoughts.  What Job is presenting, is the fact that God is higher than him and so he will not question His ways and will not doubt His purpose in bringing this to pass.  He will struggle with it and he will desire it to pass but he will not say that the Lord is wrong in allowing this to touch him.  In all of this Job still maintains his connection with the Lord and this is most powerful achievement he can reach for at this time. The challenge when we suffer is that we remain connected to the Lord and sometimes it is only with the grasp of a single finger – but that is still enough!

Day 425

Nehemiah 10:

The agreement to be the people of God was sealed as a covenant between them and their God.  They took this decision very seriously and they understood the consequences if they failed to keep it…but they also understood the blessings which were available to them as they continued to live under such a rule and so it was a joy to them to be sealed under it.  There was another attribute of their attitude which stood out boldly…their willingness to be generous and to honour the Temple of God and to provide offerings, gifts and the overflow of their ‘first fruits’ to meet the needs of the Priesthood.  In fact, their generosity was such that there was an overflow.   This is a common pattern when the people turn their devotion to the Lord, it impacts every aspect of their lives including their generosity and willingness to serve the Lord and the house which bears His name.  Building His church should be a joy and one which overflows from our hearts and from the resources which we possess.

Job 11:

The second of Job’s friends to speak is Zophar and he is less gentle than Eliphaz.  He states his opinion very clearly that Job is filled with nothing but empty words and is focused on nothing but himself.  He offers no comfort, no encouragement, nothing but a simple statement of judgement that God is greater than Job and Job is obviously a sinner.  The only answer is that Job repents and God will restore him.  Again this demonstrates that Job’s friends do not understand the true nature of suffering and the purpose of God in allowing His people to face various trials.  The truth is that the Lord takes no delight in seeing His people in difficulty but He allows it so that their faith and reliance will be truly upon Him and not the items of comfort which surround them.  What Job needed was someone who would come alongside and weep with him, rather than trying to apportion blame to a specific action or inaction of his past.

Day 424

Nehemiah 9:

This chapter outlines more clearly than anywhere else in the scriptures the history of Children of Israel and the responses they had to the generosity and manifold grace of God.  This recitation of the multiple failures of their fathers demonstrates a great level of understanding and self realisation.  The overwhelming understanding which is presented is that God is faithful and His people have been rebellious and sinful.  This is an important realisation and an powerful statement of repentance.  Restoration with the Lord can only take place once you identify the error you have been trapped within and cry out for the deliverance which He offers.  Ignorance or stubbornness are no excuse and the only answer is openness and honesty.  The outcome of this powerful repentance is cleansing and the joy of the ‘restart’.  This nation begins again from today to experience the unchanging love of God but without the stains of their fore-fathers.  Repentance is a wonderful thing but we must take it seriously for the Lord is not a lover of those who hold His grace as a small or common thing.  We must never take it for granted.

Job 10:

Here we find that Job begins to question God and to challenge His judgements. The problem is that Job can only see things from one perspective and he is unable to perceive the mind or frame of reference which the Lord holds.  Each of us struggle with this reality, we see with our eyes, hear with our ears and contemplate with our limited thinking the ramifications of all that transpires in our lives.  But the reality of our existence is far greater than our experience.  The Lord see Job and the Lord understands the fountain of his woes.  The Lord sees the future and is confident in moving towards it, Job cannot see these things, he cannot understand and currently he is rapidly moving towards despair.  This is where faith and confidence are needed – this is why this book stands as a testimony to us.  The Lord knows your circumstance, He knows your future and He is determined to bring you to safe harbour and green fields.   Be careful not to allow despair to rob you of your confidence and hope of all that is yet to come.  The story is not over until the Lord has finally spoken.

Day 423

Nehemiah 8:

After the walls were completed, after the Temple had been reconstructed, now continued the task of the rebuilding of the faith and spiritual practice of the people.  Ezra is given the task of publicly reading the law with many witnesses present in order to ensure that all who heard the words understood them.  Nehemiah told the people to rejoice – not to weep – this was because many of the commands in the scriptures were as yet unfulfilled and fear and dread would have surrounded the hearts of the people.  Nehemiah proclaims that this day is a day of stepping forward and that it is what follows that is important.  The past is forgiven, now is the time for the future.  The people respond and from this moment they prepare their hearts to seek the Lord.  The Feast of Tabernacles is restored as are many other important remembrances and rituals.  The nation is well on the way to being reformed and it reminds us that the work of the Lord within us is supposed to progress from step to step and strength to strength.

Job 9:

Job laments the fact that he feels like he has been abandoned and that there is no mediator between himself and the Lord.   He knows the power and majesty of God and he is aware that he is only a man in comparison…what he desires is that there was one who could stand in between and intercede on his behalf.  What Job is desiring is actually a prophetic insight into on of the major roles which Jesus will fulfil.  Even though He comes as God, He also comes as man.  Even though He speaks for God, He also speaks for man.  Even though He is all powerful, He comes in weakness in order to be able to reach and understand our plight.  The truth is that nothing of Job’s condition has gone unnoticed, nothing of his pain or suffering has been ignored by the Lord but the fact that Job feels alone is an indication of the weaker covenant which he is living under.  When we face such trials we have a comforter, when we face such darkness – we are not alone!  What Job is crying out for…we possess!  We should celebrate it daily and thank the Lord for all He gives to us!

Day 422

Nehemiah 7:

Now that the wall was rebuilt it was time to undertake another look at the strength and resources that were at the command of the people of Israel. The city was large and the people were few and so, for the next few years, it was important that the defenses of the city remained strong.  What Nehemiah was hoping for was, now that the wall was rebuilt, that many more of the exiles would return to populate the city.  This is what eventually happened and the number steadily grew but each family had to demonstrate their lineage in order to be welcomed amongst the priesthood or roles of authority within the city.  The nation was going to be rebuilt but it was going to be rebuilt in the manner the Lord intended.

Job 8:

Bildad the Shuhite spells out his opinion that Job must be a sinner because of all of the bad things which have happened to him.  This is a common and concerning attitude.  Some people believe that God deals out judgement upon sinners and if you are facing any trials or difficulty it is because you are doing something wrong.  Jesus clearly stated that ‘in this world you will have tribulation’.  Trials and testings bring character and eventual blessing.  What Job needed was encouragement in that direction rather than literally adding insult to injury by suggesting that he had really brought all of these calamities upon himself.  With friends like these who really does need an enemy?

Day 421

Nehemiah 6:

Any good work will face its opposition and Nehemiah’s work of leading the people in rebuilding the walls was no exception.  Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem and many others start to conspire against them and seek to see them fail.  They spread lies, they attempt to distract Nehemiah, they try to draw him outside of the city, they spread derision and even hire prophets to come and prophesy falsely to attempt to deflect the work.  Nehemiah demonstrates his leadership and the characteristics which are required if we are going to see the Lord’s work within our lives completed.  The amazing testimony of this book is proclaimed in this chapter.  The wall was finished in 52 days – counting the three days of ‘spying out the land’ which Nehemiah did at the start Jerusalem was transformed in 55 days from wilderness to walled-city!  What an amazing accomplishment!  This is what we are capable of if we work together and with the Lord as our guide!.

Job 7:

Job finally passes into the depths of despair.  He indulges himself and allows hope to be replaced by pity and self loathing.  He is not in a ‘good place’, he needs support and encouragement, not more judgement.  As he pours out his heart we see what is really going on on the inside.  Some might be shocked at what he says or how he frames his complaint but the reality is, you don’t always have to be in control of your emotions when you are faced with such pain, you only have to remain honest and open to the help that the Lord will offer to you.  The best way you can help someone at this point is to just allow them to speak out, to vent…later you will have an opportunity to speak and, if you are open, the Lord will give you the right words to say.

Day 420

Nehemiah 5:

The process of rebuilding the nation was more than just an issue of rebuilding the walls.  During the captivity many aspects of social life had also fallen into disrepair.  One of the casualties was those who fell into debt and could not repay what they had loaned.  They now found themselves enslaved to their brothers and paying interest on debts they could never hope to repay.  Nehemiah could not bear this and challenged the people that it was time to set the record straight and to set their people free.  With little or no reluctance shown, the people did what was requested and the celebration of freedom must have been wonderful!  Nehemiah continues to lead by good example as he does not draw the taxes and levy a burden upon the people.  The Lord wants his people totally free.

Job 6:

Job answers the challenge of his friend by saying that he has a right to complain.  He has been a righteous man and has not given himself over to lies or corruption.  He has sought the Lord and lived according to His ways and yet he has been struck by a powerful hand and a deadly series of blows.  Job begins to wish that the Lord would take his life because he has lost all confidence that things could improve and the presence of his counsellors (friends) is not seeming to help. Job is still open to the lesson that will illuminate his situation but he is bordering on the understandable mistake of looking only inward.  This is what happens when we are under pressure or suffering… but the man or woman of God is served best when they keep their eyes on the Lord who knows their heart, their situation and the final outcome.

Day 419

Nehemiah 4:

The fabulous work of Nehemiah and the people attracts opposition.  Jealously and hatred are stirred and mockery and intimidation are its fruit.  Although only half the wall is built the people now have to give their attention to its defense.  The options before them are to build or to defend…Nehemiah takes the bold stance of challenging the people to do both.  Build with one hand but keep the sword at your waist ready to fight.  There could be no better template for our Spiritual life than this.  We must continue to build but we must be armed for the battle when it is joined!  The other important tactic employed was the sounding of the trumpet…the people were scattered and hard at work but when one of them was threatened the trumpet was sounded and all ran to fight as one.  There is a power which comes when we are in unity that should never be ignored and never cast away! When you are in need – sound the trumpet!

Job 5:

Eliphaz continues to speak and within the words that are spoken are many facets of truth and wisdom.  He is obviously a Godly and a thinking man:  His observations regarding life are keen and encouraging but he does have one fatal gap in his personal theology – he does not understand trials and the growth which can occur in an individual’s life through great suffering.  Now I am not hoping for more challenges to come our way but I am certain that trials will come.  When they come I want to be learning from them not simply judging myself as ‘far from God’ because I am facing them.  The truth is that the Lord is with us at these times and seeks to strengthen, comfort and support us whilst we gain the benefits He has designed for us.  Let us never be as narrow as Eliphaz and let’s make certain that we have something more useful to say when we speak!

Day 418

Nehemiah 3:

Nehemiah’s methodology to rebuild the wall was simple and effective.  Instead of starting at one or two points around the city and building the wall from there to a finishing point, Nehemiah assigned each family group the task of rebuilding a part of the wall all at the same time.  This has the dual benefit of the whole wall of the city being raised higher day by day but also each man knew and took pride in the piece of the wall they were building.  No-one wanted the task to fail and it was only going to be by united effort that the amazing goal could ever be reached.  This is a great picture for each of us to consider…it speaks to the need for the church of the Lord Jesus to be unified in purpose and busy about the job of building what is needed.  Each one of us have a part to play but are we willing to put in the effort? If we don’t we will be left with gaps in the walls!

 

Job 4:

The narrative style of the book of Job reads like the well rehearsed movements of a play.  I am not suggesting that the story is fiction but it is possible that as the story was passed down it was recorded in a ‘theatrical’ form.  We see each of the speakers taking their turn upon centre stage and each gives way to the other.  Eliphaz is first to speak and he simply states that if Job is innocent then he would not be receiving such harsh judgement from the Lord.  It is not helpful and not comforting, it is narrow minded and limited in the extreme.  He cannot see the dealings of God and cannot fathom the depths of His ways and yet he is quick to pronounce his opinion regarding Job.  This is a good lesson to us…at best we see only the edges of the Lord’s ways so we should be careful not to simply remain diminished by our limited thinking.  We should wait for the Lord to reveal to us something that is actually worth saying.