#DailyDevotion O Lord If You Get Me Out Of This I Swear I’ll Never Do It Again!
September 24th
Read Neh 9:22–38
Neh 9:30-33 Many years you bore with them and warned them by your Spirit through your prophets. Yet they would not give ear. Therefore you gave them into the hand of the peoples of the lands. (31) Nevertheless, in your great mercies you did not make an end of them or forsake them, for you are a gracious and merciful God. (32) “Now, therefore, our God, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love, let not all the hardship seem little to you that has come upon us, upon our kings, our princes, our priests, our prophets, our fathers, and all your people, since the time of the kings of Assyria until this day. (33) Yet you have been righteous in all that has come upon us, for you have dealt faithfully and we have acted wickedly.
In today’s lesson, Nehemiah continues with the confession of sin and faith of the people of Israel. Throughout it we see in the history of Israel, how the Lord God was faithful to His people, keeping His covenant with them, but Israelites did not believe, trust or fear the Lord. The Israelites continued to rebel against the Lord of Hosts, attributing His goodness to foreign gods. So the Lord would hand them over to foreign people. They would cry as many do when they get into trouble, “O Lord, if you get me out of this mess, I swear I’ll never do it again.” And you know what the Lord did? He sent them saviors. You know what the Israelites did? They went back and did it again. The Lord eventually casts out the northern tribes of the land never to be seen or heard of again. The Jews we sent into exile and then brought back into the land never to fully possess it again, but for a brief time with the Maccabees. They would be ruled by the Persians, the Greeks and the Romans and wherever they were dispersed.
How have we as the true people of God, the Lord, acted having been circumcised of heart by the hand of God in the waters of Holy Baptism? How have we acted having received the new covenant with the body and blood of Jesus? Do we attribute all our goodness unto the Lord Jesus Christ? Do turn to created things as the source of our happiness and joy? We may not worship little statues but source of all good something other than the Lord Jesus Christ? People today, Christians, look to sex, alcohol, drugs, music, jobs, wealth, family, credit, Church, food, and a hosts of other created things, which in themselves are good when used properly, as they should look to God, the Lord Jesus Christ. We look to these created things which seem to do the job for a while, but they carry with them a price. Like the Israelites who served foreign gods ended up being oppressed and enslaved by the peoples of those gods, we who serve these created things as God will be enslaved and oppressed by these things. We lose the freedom won for us by Jesus’ sacrificial suffering and death. We lose His victory from the grave which is ours. God hands us over to these things so we may realize this and repent. This is seen most often in most addictions. Addictions are nothing more than idolatry and servitude to other gods, demons.
Then we cry out to God for help, “Oh Lord, if you get me out of this, I’ll never do this again!” Sound familiar? And the Lord rescues us. The question is now, will we return to serving these other gods or thank the Lord Jesus, trust in Him for ALL GOOD THINGS, and use the good things as He meant them to be used? Jesus can and has saved us from addiction to other gods. He can keep us from being enslaved again. Don’t give yourselves back into slavery i.e. addiction.
Lord Jesus Christ, for freedom’s sake you have freed us from sin, death and the power of the devil. Grant us your Spirit always, that we may always choose faith in you rather than created things. Always grant us repentance to turn back to you when we by weakness of our flesh turn to the world and preserve us in the true faith unto life everlasting. Amen.