"Remember the word that you gave to your servant Moses when you said, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples. But if you return to me and keep my commandments by really doing them, then, even though your outcasts live under distant skies, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place that I have chosen as a dwelling for my name.’ They are your servants and your people. They are the ones whom you have redeemed by your great power and your strong hand.
“Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight in honoring your name. Please give success to your servant today and grant him favor in the presence of this man!”
In today’s reading, we find Nehemiah continuing his prayer to God on behalf of his people. In this passage, Nehemiah reminds God of the covenant God made to the Israelites when God rescued them out of slavery in Egypt. Most likely, this prayer was written down to remind future readers that they are chosen and rescued by God. It also teaches us that the Israelite God is an attentive God who listens to our prayers.
Sometimes we say we believe God’s promises because, as Christians, it’s the “right” response. But do you truly believe that you are chosen by God and that God is listening to you? How would you live your life differently, perhaps more boldly, if you truly believed these promises? |
|
