Discipline to God's commandments in our life

Discipline to God's commandments in our life

 S- Nehemiah 13:15-18 (NASB)

¹⁵ In those days I saw in Judah some who were treading wine presses on the sabbath, and bringing in sacks of grain and loading them on donkeys, as well as wine, grapes, figs and all kinds of loads, and they brought them into Jerusalem on the sabbath day. So I admonishedthem on the day they sold food. ¹⁶ Also men of Tyre were living there who imported fish and all kinds of merchandise, and sold them to the sons of Judah on the sabbath, even in Jerusalem. ¹⁷ Then I reprimanded the nobles of Judah and said to them, “What is this evil thing you are doing, by profaning the sabbath day? ¹⁸ Did not your fathers do the same, so that our God brought on us and on this city all this trouble? Yet you are adding to the wrath on Israel by profaning the sabbath.”

O - This scripture comes from a time just after Nehemiah and the returning exiles finished rebuilding the wall around Jerusalem and they were correcting back to the commandments which God had given them.  The Levites were not getting the tithe to support them so they were abandoning there duties to go back and earn their own living  and as we see in this passage, many were working on the Sabbath day.    These violations of God's commandments  and the corrections were part of what the people needed to do to correct back to God.    After all they were exiled for over 70 years for being disobedient to the commandments of God, so as they returned it we can see it is man's nature to wander from God, if not for the leadership of men like Nehemiah, and now for us the leadership of the holy spirit in us.

A -  The application for me is again to recognize my own nature to wander from God's ordinances.   It is also to refresh my passion for the absolute necessity and Godly commandment that the Sabbath is.  I can relate to the Israelites that sometime life seems so busy that we are looking for extra time to get work done, an easy target becomes the Sabbath.  The result though in the long term is devastating; weariness, ineffectiveness, and separation from God.  I must under the profound nature and design of the Sabbath rest, and in being aligned with God, especially in times of busyness.

P - Dear heavenly Father, thank you for this mornings devotions, may they be sealed to my heart.   I pray Lord for a refreshing in my Sabbath's, that I would be obedient out of love for you, and respect for your perfect design for my life.  I pray Lord for strength and patience to handle all the tasks of work, the move to CA, ministry at New Hope Aiea, and healthy relationship in my family.  I pray all this in Jesus name, Amen.