#DailyDevotion To Appeal To God’s Character You Need To Know His Character
September 18th
Read Neh 1:1—2:10
Neh 1:4-11 As soon as I heard these words I sat down and wept and mourned for days, and I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven. (5) And I said, “O LORD God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, (6) let your ear be attentive and your eyes open, to hear the prayer of your servant that I now pray before you day and night for the people of Israel your servants, confessing the sins of the people of Israel, which we have sinned against you. Even I and my father’s house have sinned. (7) We have acted very corruptly against you and have not kept the commandments, the statutes, and the rules that you commanded your servant Moses. (8) Remember the word that you commanded your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples, (9) but if you return to me and keep my commandments and do them, though your outcasts are in the uttermost parts of heaven, from there I will gather them and bring them to the place that I have chosen, to make my name dwell there.’ (10) They are your servants and your people, whom you have redeemed by your great power and by your strong hand. (11) O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant, and to the prayer of your servants who delight to fear your name, and give success to your servant today, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man.” ….
Nehemiah, whose name means, Consolation of Jah (Jah is Jahweh’s nickname), faced with the situation of his people which was caused by the sins of his people and not only their sins but his sins and the sins of his fathers, repents. The words bring contrition and humility to his heart and from his heart to his mouth and actions. He fast (doesn’t eat food) and prays. Here we have the prayer that he brought before the Lord of Hosts.
We note first that he reminds the Lord of His character and His promises. In his prayer, Nehemiah reminds the Lord who He says He is and what He does. If anything else this is a good reason to read your bible. In it you find out who God, the living God, is and what He is like and what He has to say to the people of the world and in particular, what He has to say to you. Nehemiah’s prayer is spiritual because it is the Word of God and the Word always is accompanied by the Spirit of the Lord.
He confesses his sins, his father’s sins and the sins of his people. When disaster strikes our country, we should do the same. We don’t look at those who disaster strikes and think they must be worse sinners than us. We confess our sins, the sins of the people around us and our nations sins and we beg the Lord’s forgiveness on our and their behalf. We plead humbly for His grace, His mercy and His kindness. We plead for these things based not on what we have done or not done, but based on what the Lord Jesus is like, what He has done, and what Jesus has promised.
The Lord heard Nehemiah’s plea. Jesus arraigned for Nehemiah to be heard by the king and things were set in motion for the prophecy of Jeremiah to be fulfilled. The exiles would return to Jerusalem, the city and temple would be rebuilt and the Lord would put His name their again.
The Lord Jesus Christ will hear your humble pleas based one who He is, what He has done and what He has promised. You can depend on that. He has always kept His Word. He is always faithful even when we have been faithless. So turn to the Father with the Word of Christ with humility and faith.
Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and our nation. We have sinned against you and deserve nothing but punishment and disaster upon disaster. For your Name sake forgive. Amen.