Bible Chapter: Nehemiah 9 & 10

Because the Bible is practical, here are some statements to get you thinking.

1.  Write one or two key thoughts that come from today’s reading.
    How close can I get to Jesus?  How far away from sin can I get? Good questions.  The people recognized their need to get close to and obey God.  They realized the past failures and the necessity of making a commitment to obey God’s commands and quit making connections with sin.  Their repentance was genuine and ongoing.  They were not going to simply have a religious ritual, but they gathered to repent and worship God.  They recognized that God is compassionate and merciful.  He forgives those who are genuine in their repentance.
    The people bound themselves with an oath to obey God or be punished.  They committed to support God’s work with the necessary financial provision.  They were serious about living for God.

2.  What can I apply in my life from the reading?
    Spiritual separation.  This is one of the commitments the children of Israel made at this time.  They separated from ungodly relationships and committed to prevent them in the future.  They changed from the way they had been living.  God calls for His people to live a life separated from sinful activity or acceptance of sin.  This challenge of spiritual separation seems to be harder to do today.  But, God has not changed and still expects us to live a righteous life.  The principle of living separate from sin, from the influence of sin, is still extremely necessary for spiritual victory.  Spiritual separation does not mean we go and hide somewhere.  It means we refuse to become involved in sinful practices or anything that may draw us into sin.

3.  How can I help someone?
    The example of repentance, worship and commitment we see in these chapters is an excellent pattern to follow.  When someone sins, they need to repent.  God is wholly worthy of worship.  Living a life that honors God is critical and beneficial.