FRIDAY, 12 February, 2021 “Vision Clarity”

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Hello my dear “Walking with Jesus” friends, on this Friday!

You know I often begin with a question…so here’s my opening question for today: How clearly do you think you see the world around you? How much help do you need to understand what’s happening in your part of the world? How easily are you persuaded that you are wrong in what you thought you understood or even what you think you see?

These days the news coming at us, regardless of your preferred news sources, no longer tell us accurate facts. For years now the news outlets seem more interested in growing their audience, their market share, than they are in giving us accurate news. They claim to be professional journalists, but in truth they are commentators giving us their PERSPECTIVE of events, MEANING of events, IMPLICATIONS of events. They are far more focused on telling us how and what to think and feel, than they are in telling us the news with accuracy. They retain their jobs as long as they retain their listeners. Their worth is evaluated by their popularity not their effectiveness in communicating the truthfulness of events.

Nehemiah was different. Have you noticed the entire book of Nehemiah in the Bible is a report of the events with Biblical accuracy, not commentary or philosophy. So join me again today in Nehemiah 9 to see an accurate report of a remarkable event that is instructive for us today, when we long for truth and understanding of our world.

Nehemiah 8 recounts for us that the people of Jerusalem had completed their Sukkot festival which followed a spiritual revival of sorts, as Ezra had read God’s Word, the Law of Moses, publicly to the people, and they had been deeply convicted by what they heard… and they took action in repentance. Two weeks later, they gathered together again in the large Jerusalem public square and once again invited Ezra to read and teach them God’s Word.

Nehemiah tells us “They stood in their places and confessed their sins and the sins of their ancestors. They cried out to the LORD with loud voices. Then the Levites said “Stand up and praise the LORD your God who is from everlasting to everlasting.” (Nehemiah 9:2-5)

I invite you to look closely at what Nehemiah reports that the people DID. First, they praised God with clarity, with detailed accuracy, and celebrated fundamental truth. The kind of truth that is NOT accepted in most parts of our world today. I challenge you to count the number of times ‘YOU’ is found from Nehemiah 9:5-15. Do you see how the people celebrated the truthfulness of God’s greatness and His accomplishments? Take note of all the miraculous things God is credited with having done in history in those 10 verses. Can you categorize them such as “creation miracles”; “Exodus miracles” etc.

May I ask, as you look back over the history of your part of the world, are you able to name specific things which God has done to show Himself powerful and majestic? Things which God did to accomplish His great purposes and bring great glory to Himself? Can you see how those things have either been discounted or denied by political leaders, scientists, teachers, philosophers, entertainers and the general public? So what is the truth and how important is that truth in the history of your part of the world?

Now look at what Nehemiah reports that the people acknowledged in their prayer that day in verses 16,17. Can you truthfully look around your world today, and back in time, and can you identify the intentional efforts to discount or distort or reject God and His accomplishments? Do the words chosen in those verses describe influential people and leaders past and present, in your part of the world?

When you next look at what Nehemiah reports in verses 18-25, as God’s response to the rebellion and wickedness of His people, how does that compare to how you see that God has responded to wickedness and rebellion in your part of the world over recent history as you know it? In fact, as you continue reading Nehemiah chapter 9 through verse 31, do you find yourself shaking your head in disbelief as you consider God’s patience with humanity, and in particular with His people, both then and now?

Now finally I invite you to read the final verses of Nehemiah chapter 9 through the lenses of our present days, in your part of the world, wherever you live. “Now, therefore our God, the great God, mighty and awesome who keeps His covenant of love, do not let all this current hardship seem trifling in Your eyes…. In all that has happened to us, You have remained righteous and You have acted faithfully, while we acted wickedly….Our kings, our leaders, our priests…have not followed Your law, they did not pay attention to Your commands… we are in great distress.”

Are you, are the people in your part of the world in great distress? Whether you live in Asia or Africa or South America or Europe or Central Asia/the Middle East, or even in North America, do these sound like words you and I, the people of God around the world should be praying? My friends, as we head into this weekend may I remind you that throughout God’s word we are challenged to remember that God is ALWAYS watching EVERYTHING going on here on planet earth. (Psalm 33:13-15) Nothing escapes His awareness and nothing is beyond God’s understanding. As God listens to the voices of HIS people world-wide, how close are our prayers today, to the prayer offered in Nehemiah?

Over these next three days, I want to urge you to pray accurately, specifically, powerfully, as you reflect on the condition of your part of the world. Remember God is watching everything, but especially God is watching HIS people to see how we are living out the truth of our Identity as People of God, purchased by the blood of Jesus Christ, redeemed from the stranglehold of Satan, death and sin, and indwelt by the powerful Holy Spirit of God. God is watching… what difference are those truths making in our lives as we live in a world in rebellion against God?

In closing look at the statement Nehemiah records in verse 38 “In view of all this, we are making a binding agreement, putting it in writing…” What if you were to write in your journal, or maybe in your Bible, some statement of commitment to live as God honoring a life, for the rest of your life, as God empowers you to live, trusting that by doing so God will hold you fast by His strength, and He will empower your life to impact your part of the world, pushing back the darkness of evil and drawing others to Jesus Christ? Are you confident Jesus will hold you fast in this dark and dangerous world?

I have two YouTube videos for you that celebrate this truth. First the story behind the song “He Will Hold Me Fast” and then secondly a powerful rendition of that song…and then you write your confident declaration of commitment to Jesus based on Nehemiah 9!

Listen to “He Will Hold Me Fast” — The Story Behind the Song

Listen to He Will Hold Me Fast (Live) – Keith & Kristyn Getty, Selah

Today’s Scripture is Nehemiah 9.

Choose below to read or listen.

Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.

Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.

Pastor Doug Anderson 262.441.8785
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)

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