Our First Day
'On the first day of the seventh month, the people came together in the open area in front of the Water Gate. Then they asked Ezra, who was a teacher of the Law of Moses, to read to them from this Law that the Lord had given his people. Ezra the priest came with the Law and stood before the crowd of men, women, and the children who were old enough to understand.' Nehemiah 8:1-2 (CEV)
The wall building project was complete! The people of that day had
moved back into their own homes. For them, Nehemiah had accomplished a
great thing. It was not an easy task. He had brick by brick, being led
by God, helped them to restore order back to Jerusalem. He had brick by
brick, being led by God, helped them to restore security back to
Jerusalem. He had brick by brick, being led by God, helped them to
restore the government back to Jerusalem. Even with all this there was
something missing. It was something of great importance to the people
and they knew it. On the first day of the week, they were called to
worship, they were united and would neglect their spiritual needs no
more.
Just like us, there the people were, living in their
nice homes, they were working at their good jobs, they were safe and had
it all, or so it seemed to them in the natural and yet they felt as if
something was missing. Just like us, they needed something more that
only God could provide for them. So, because their spirits were dry, and
they were old enough and mature enough to understand, they went to the
Water's edge and called for the scribe Ezra to read to them. How could
they be restored back to greatness with financial blessings and physical
healing and neglect to give thanks to the One true God that brought
them there? They shouldn't and they couldn't and they wouldn't.
It should never be enough to construct our big fancy buildings and
homes that look superior on the outside and yet have nothing of God's
love or value on the inside. It could be that whenever people, who are
led like Nehemiah was, to do a great thing that restores back to original
glory days, the damage to our buildings and walls done by time
and neglect and the enemy, that we need an Ezra to come in and finish
the job. Wouldn't it be nice that whenever Ezra comes in with the Law of
Moses we could see a revival sweep through our land as well? An
awakening would do just that to a nation. An awakening could bring a
culture shift. An awakening should change and restore our culture back
to the original glory days, so that we are doing and believing in what
is good and true and real again. So let it begin today.
And today, with the placement of each brick, we can see
progress and that what each one of us is doing is making a difference.
The things of importance that we have neglected in the past are
beginning to be addressed. The things of God that we value so much is
being improved. Our very lives are being renewed and restored. With
improvements to the outside of our structures, soon enough will come the
improvements that are needed to the inside as well. Now is the first
day and it's time to upgrade and change the paint colors and outdated
things of the past.
We cannot deny the power behind the force
of God in taking first steps on the first day toward improving the walls
around us. Walls are crumbling and once the building project is
finished, then we can begin to see what is needed in the spiritual realm
as well. When we build the walls to exclude our enemy this will help to
restore our sovereignty. A healthy community is accomplished with a
healthy and growing church. Why can we not see that? It's our
perspective that this is where the value lies. With God is where our
future lies. In God we trust!
Revival comes to us all when we
each contribute the bricks that we need to rebuild the structure on the
outside. Am I a dependable brick layer? Do I love Him enough? Can God
count on me to do my part with faithful attendance, generous tithe and
an active prayer life? Do I trust Him? I do! I love that idea. I could
do my part. You could do your part. With a lot of hard work, in unity,
we could do our part and help bring about the change that God is
directing us to do with our bricks of love. That's all that He requires.
Are
we ready to let God move on our hearts and make the change in us that
He desires? Only time will tell. It's a new day. Call upon Ezra.
Proclaim and preach! Amen.
Comments
Post a Comment