For 8/5 and 8/6, I'm sharing Nehemiah 8:5-6, "Ezra opened the book. Every eye was on him (he was standing on the raised platform) and as he opened the book everyone stood. Then Ezra praised God, the great God, and all the people responded, "Oh Yes! Yes!" with hands raised high. And then they fell to their knees in worship of God, their faces to the ground." MSG
Jerusalem had been broken, physically and spiritually. Nehemiah was burdened to rebuild in both realms. After rebuilding the walls of the city, he turns to bringing real life into it, through spiritual renewal. As the priest, Ezra, translates and explains the long neglected word of God to the people of the city, a light bulb comes on and revival breaks out. People start confessing their sins and worshipping God. They become resolved to bring the nation's wayward conduct in line with their covenant relationship with God.
In God's perfect wisdom and timing, there is a national call to prayer tomorrow, August 6th, in our own country. The Governor of Texas issued an invitation for others to join his state in calling out to our God in prayer for the problems that plague our individual states and our country. I could not be more supportive of this symbol of surrender and cry for help to the One who holds the world in His hands. I've written about this before and mentioned how this call to prayer has met with much criticism. I just have to shake my head at the utter confusion the enemy has caused in the minds of people.
Our world has become so confused, that people who are calling on God to heal this land are called radical extremist. The people who are coming together for prayer are not hurting anyone; they are just seeking God's hand in our problems. I can see why this would be threatening to the devil. Right now, he's watching the leaders of this country run around like chickens with their heads cut off, trying to come up with human solutions for human problems. What a novel idea for someone to suggest that we come together in prayer and seek answers from God. No wonder the devil is shaking is his boots and shaking up our world. He is really afraid that we will tap into the one thing that can defeat him...God's power.
Just like the people in the book of Nehemiah, we can rebuild our country. We can turn to God for our help and recognise His power to heal our lives and our situations. Some have said that this call to prayer is divisive. Their purpose for saying so was to be politically correct and adhere to this world's view of universal acceptance of anything. For very different reasons, I have to agree that the very nature of the cross is divisive. You see, the cross of Jesus, it's cause, and it's victory over sin and death, will always demand that people either accept this Jesus who died for them, or reject Him. Yet, we have to choose to be with Him or against Him.
I stand with those the world has labeled extremists. I'm an extremely blessed child of an extremely powerful God. I will call on His name and believe that only He has the power to save us from ourselves and our enemies. This is the perfect time to pray that He will hear from His people and heal us, and our land. As they did in the book of Nehemiah, we can become people who are resolved to bring this nation's wayward conduct in line with our covenant relationship with God, our Creator. This is a perfect time for God to revive His people and this country. Let our response be "Yes!" Let's stand together in prayer and praise and watch God move.
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