RTW September 20
A Quick Word from Wendy…
Festival For One
So everyone who had returned from captivity lived in these shelters during the festival, and they were all filled with great joy!
Nehemiah 8:17a
My Takeaways
Something Old
It must have been some celebration.
The Israelites had not celebrated like this since the days of Joshua son of Nun. Nehemiah 8:17b
Something New
- Fasted
- Confessed
- Stood for the reading of the Law
- Worship
“May your glorious name be praised! May it be exalted above all blessing and praise! 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 them all, and the angels of heaven worship you. You are the Lord God, who chose Abram and brought him from Ur of the Chaldeans and renamed him Abraham.” When he had proved himself faithful, you made a covenant with him to give him and his descendants the land of the “ites” And you have done what you promised, for you are always true to your word.
You’ve seen my misery and displayed your miraculous power. “You have a glorious reputation that has never been forgotten.” You divided the sea, and when I had passed safely through the depths, you destroyed the enemy’s advance on me. You have led me with a pillar of cloud and fire.
From Your heavenly throne, You’ve taught me Your ways through Your Word. You gave me the land abundance, and I repaid You with stubbornness and disobedience. Your mercy and love led me to exile, and Your grace set me free.
I have returned to the land of plenty, but am still enslaved to some things of this world, strongholds that keep my bound and demand payment. Help me, Lord. Continue to save me from my enemy.
I make a covenant to obey You and “not to neglect the Temple of our God”.
Something to Do
Never forget to set up my shelter and celebrate my festival.
Amazing lesson Wendy. I will listen to this a couple more times today. Thank you!!
xoxo,
Melissa. ?
A LOT to think about especially being our own worst enemy. Struck a chord with me today.
There is no doubt in my mind that God has given this ministry… your ministry to me. I rejoice in the fact that today I am in a humbled place of repentance, celebration of reconciliation with my Savior. It was a very stormy and ugly place that I was in. I think that there has been a break through, but even if not complete victory, I am experiencing new songs, new joy, and another level of Holy Spirit cleansing. I hate and love God’s pruning.
Thank you for your faithfulness to God’s work and to His work in your life. For being transparent for us.
Rejoicing with you, Sherry!
Neh 8:13-18 stood out to me today. As they studied the Law they saw they hadn’t been obeying certain things. They immediately started to obey and it brought them great joy! Obedience brings joy. Brought to mind the message of Wendy’s new book, Yes, No & Maybe, how intimacy with God starts at the intersection of God’s Word and obedience. This leads to the immeasurably more life.
I also was challenged by Neh 9 and the review of Isreals history. I need to review my history with God and let it challenge me to pursue Him and to see His faithfulness along.
Wonderful lesson. Yes for me that is so true, I am often my own enemy in the land of plenty. Praying fervently for God to help me let go of lesser things and to have an eye for what really makes me happy…learning that through obeying my path will be straight and though not free from worries or sorrow or calamities, it will be a path of hope, trust and happiness because I have God walking with me…
We set up our “shelters” and celebrate our festivals. We make our covenants to obey God and promise not to neglect His Temple.
We are now God’s Temple. His spirit lives in us. We nourish our Temples, not just with food, but with God’s Word. Part of my covenant to obey has been to study the Word daily. (Wendy and RTW family, you have helped me keep my covenant and find so much joy there!)
Right now, my “shelter” is my Bible study chair. (My friend calls her study area, her “Jesus chair.”?) Of course we know Jesus is not limited to a chair, but like a shelter, it denotes a space away for a time of worship, celebration, and study.
The wonderful part of obeying God is that it actually creates even more desire to know God and learn more about His love and His grace! It becomes an even closer relationship.
Loved your takeaways today! You nailed it.
My Takeaways: Obedience to God is Important.
Something Old: Today in Nehemiah chapter 9 I read the wonderful prayer of the Levites! This prayer is a fantastic overview of God’s grace and discipline to not only the Israelites but for me today. I no longer obey God’s commands because I have to (out of duty) but because I want to. The Israelites realized what their God had done for them and fell dearly in love with him after going over the laws and remembering their beginnings. They were learning from their past mistakes. My motivation to obey is love. Jesus said, “Those who accept My commandments and obey them are the ones who love Me” (John 14:21; 1 John 5:2, 3). Just as the Israelites realized everything that God had done for them, I too, become motivated to obey when I take the time to realize everything that God has done for me. He sent His son, Jesus Christ to die on the cross for my sins! Obeying the Lord glorifies Him in the eyes of others. He promises to bless me for obedience. “Do not merely listen to the word… Do what it says… Whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom and continues in it, not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it, they will be blessed in what they do” (James 1:22-25). I want to be obedient to the instructions God has for me. I want to take seriously His expectations. I honor the Lord by being obedient to His words. The Israelites realized this in todays reading, I must always remember this too.
Something New: My spiritual passion is directly related to my knowledge of and obedience to God’s Word.
-If I reject God’s Word I reject His blessing; without God’s blessing I become a slave.
-I am responsible to teach God’s Word to my children and grandchildren. Failure to do so has a lasting effect for generations.
-My spiritual life rests on my Bible literacy.
Something To Do: Obey God’s Instruction