John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
Jesus' obedience in the flesh on earth to the Father made possible the plan of redemption for us.
As we, then, walk in obedience to the Word by the Spirit, we receive an abundance -- not of material things or earthly riches, but of the treasures of heaven: grace and mercy, love and hope, joy and faith, strength and authority.
This abundance is given to us through the Spirit for the sake of those to whom we are sent. We carry on the ministry of redemption Jesus made possible; we are His hands and His voice in the world as we walk through the enemy's camp seeking people taken captive, held in thrall through ignorance, lies, and threats.
Not all people will accept from God this gift, held out freely to all, the richest He has to offer. Only those who sit in darkness desiring to see light, those who are broken and without hope of fixing themselves, to them Jesus directs us so He can mend them and make them stronger than before.
Only as we walk in obedience to God can we give away this abundance, sometimes even to those we would not, ourselves, choose. Only by knowing and acknowledging our own desperate needs can we, in humility, walk with God's confidence and assurance in the world.
Nehemiah 8:8 The Levites read from the Book of the Law of God making it clear and giving the meaning so the people could understand what was being read.
v.9 All the people had been weeping as they listened to the words of the law.
v.10 Nehemiah said, "... This day is sacred to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength."
As God gathers His people, as the Church comes together, as the Bride of Christ prepares herself, all the hard work among the burnt stones and piles of rubble, as we try to picture the beauty that has been promised, and the discipline of being armed against enemy attacks while building according to the vision, the plan, will become worthwhile when we finally celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles.
Nehemiah 8:17 From the days of Joshua son of Nun until that day, the Israelites had not celebrated it like this, and their joy was very great.
Not even in the time of David or Solomon, when the kingdom was united, enemies at peace, and riches beyond measure were present, did the people express their devotion to God like they did after being purged through defeat, cleansed during captivity, and sent back to Jerusalem while still under authority to a foreign ruler.
The people in Jerusalem at the time of Nehemiah knew what they had lost and how far they had fallen; they rejoiced to see God's hand, in mercy and faithfulness, covering them and meeting with them.
They were reminded of God's abundance in the wilderness when a people on the move could not make many of the necessities such as woven cloth and tanned leather and had no infrastructure such as wells for a reliable source of water and fields for a steady source of grain.
Nehemiah 9:21 For forty years you sustained them in the desert; they lacked nothing, their clothes did not wear out nor did their feet become swollen.
Nehemiah 9:15 In their hunger you gave them bread from heaven and in their thirst you brought them water from the rock;
They had learned that their strength was not enough to accomplish the job or resist the enemy. Their redemption lay in turning to God while their hands were empty and declaring their trust and hope to be in God and His love.
They realized their understanding was not sufficient to comprehend God; He will bring bread and meat from the air and draw out water from the rock. He turns things upside down and backwards from our expectations. We cannot understand, we can only trust, accept, believe, and step out in faith.
Gracious and deserving Father, we stand and praise You, the Lord God who is from everlasting to everlasting. Blessed be Your glorious name, and may it be exalted above all blessing and praise. You alone are the Lord.
You have kept Your promises because You are righteous, not because we are worthy. You are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love.
But no source of strength on earth can save us; only You have the Words of life. We bow before Your majesty and lift Your praise unto Your throne.
Your eyes are on those who fear You, those whose hope is in Your unfailing love. We wait in hope for Thee, Lord; You are our help and our shield.
In You our hearts rejoice, for we trust in Your holy name. May Your unfailing love rest upon us, Lord, even as we put our hope in You.
#devotional, #life, #rejoice, #sustain, #celebrate,
Please log in to like, share and comment!
