Nov
26
Written by:
Route 365
11/26/2010 5:00 AM
Nehemiah 1
by Jamie Roussie
Nehemiah's story opens with another prayer much like the prayer offered by Ezra in the previous book of the Bible. Like Ezra, Nehemiah offers a prayer on behalf of the people of Israel who've recently returned from exile, back into the land of their ancestors. Nehemiah's prayer comes after fasting and self-abasement. He confesses the sins of the people of Israel, past and present. He speaks of God's faithfulness to them, despite the people's unfaithfulness. Nehemiah praises God's strength in redeeming his people and his promise to bring them back to the place where he dwells among them.
Despite the troubling circumstances, Nehemiah is very bold in his prayer. He asks God to remember the promise he made to bring his people back to the land once they turn back to him, no matter how far they are scattered. He asks God to listen and see with open ears and eyes. Nehemiah seems to trust in an aspect of God's character, the certainty of his promises, with deep conviction.
It strikes me how deeply both Nehemiah and Ezra trust in God's faithfulness. They clearly understood that God would honor his promises, for God can do no other. His word is true and trustworthy because God is truth. It gives me a sense of surety and amazed wonder that God would make a promise to any person at all, let alone me. Recognizing and living with this confidence is the real transformational power of my relationship with him.
A fellow traveler,
Jamie
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