Seeds for 10/29/2024 - Nehemiah 9:13-15
Scripture:
13 “You came down on Mount Sinai; you spoke to them from heaven. You gave them regulations and laws that are just and right, and decrees and commands that are good. 14 You made known to them your holy Sabbath and gave them commands, decrees and laws through your servant Moses. 15 In their hunger you gave them bread from heaven and in their thirst you brought them water from the rock; you told them to go in and take possession of the land you had sworn with uplifted hand to give them.
Observation:
Today continues with the theme of memory and praying. Yesterday, the focus was on God intervening and acting in their history to save and deliver them. Today, intervention is still theme, but the emphasis has shifted.
They remember that God “spoke… from heaven,” gave them just laws and good commands, and “made known to them your holy Sabbath.”
God provided boundaries and guidance for their life. Boundaries for their morality and living, of course. But also for their time—giving the Sabbath. Boundaries for moral behavior we expect. Boundaries for our time might seem more intrusive. If the Sabbath is for “praying and playing” in order to nourish and build up our relationships with God, others, and even ourselves if we think about it, then a boundary like literal every-seven-days Sabbath keeping (when the collective action problem is solved by having an entire nation adopt this ethic, as in ancient Israel) is a gift. Even if we adapt the literal ancient command and follow the principle with appropriate rigor, the blessing can still be manifested.
They also remember God’s provision for needs of the body—food for their hunger, water for thirst. Plus, provision addressing a need of the body and soul—a land to live in and call home.
Remembering God’s provision in prayer, in its various facets, positions us for gratitude and helps us keep God’s faithfulness squarely in view.
Application:
How has God’s provision of commands and moral guidance been a gift in your life?
When have you experienced God’s material provision?
What else might the Holy Spirit be speaking with you about in the text today?
Prayer: Lord, you are my provider. Keep me remembering and living within your provision in every way. Amen.
“But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” (Matthew 13:23)
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