SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 8/14/2011 7:24:27 AM
My Worship Time Focus: “A Great Cry”
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Neh. 5:1-5
Message
of the verses: “1 Now there was a great outcry of the people and of their wives
against their Jewish brothers. 2 For there were those who said, "We, our
sons and our daughters are many; therefore let us get grain that we may eat and
live." 3 There were others who said, "We are mortgaging our fields,
our vineyards and our houses that we might get grain because of the
famine." 4 Also there were those who said, "We have borrowed money
for the king’s tax on our fields and our vineyards. 5 “Now our flesh is like
the flesh of our brothers, our children like their children. Yet behold, we are
forcing our sons and our daughters to be slaves and some of our daughters are
forced into bondage already, and we are helpless because our fields and
vineyards belong to others.’”
Today’s SD begins a new chapter in
the book of Nehemiah and a new chapter in Dr. Warren Wiersbe’s commentary on
Nehemiah “Be Determined.” He entitles
this chapter “Stop! Thief!” This chapter
deals with the enemy attacking on the
inside or from within, for in the previous chapter the enemy’s attacks came
from the outside and were not successful so he reverts to the inside. What tactics will the enemy use when
attacking on the inside? Well in this
chapter we will see that he is using selfishness. Dr. Wiersbe writes in his introduction to
chapter five: “If he (the enemy) can get
us thinking only about ourselves and what we want, then he will win the victory
before we realize that he is even at work.
Selfishness means putting myself at the center
of everything and insisting on getting what I want when I want it. It means exploiting others so I can be happy
and taking advantage of them just so I can have my own way. It is not only wanting my own way but
expecting everybody else to want my way too.
Why are selfish people so miserable?
I think Thomas Merton said it best:
‘To consider persons and events and situations only in the light of
their effect upon myself is to live on the doorstep of hell.’
This
chapter reveals to us the depts of sin in the human heart and how each of us
must learn to love our neighbors as ourselves.
This moving drama has three acts.”
This first act is the subject of today’s SD.
There
are four different people groups that are involved in this short section. The first group were people who did not own
any land and because of the famine needed food.
These are seen in verse two.
The
next group was those who had land but had to mortgage it in order to buy food
and these can be seen in verse three.
The
next group was people who owned land but complained about high taxes that were
imposed on them from the king of Persia and they too had to borrow money to pay
their taxes and get food on the table.
In those days one did not get much for the taxes they had to pay. This group can be seen in verse four.
The
last group were probably the worst of the lot for they were the rich who were
taking advantage of the poor, and in doing this they were breaking the Law of
Moses by lending them money and charging them interest or taking their sons and
their daughters from them making them servants, and this also went against the
Law of Moses. These people were greedy, as sin that was evident before the
Babylonian captivity as written by some of the prophets like Isaiah (56:9-12);
Jeremiah 22:13-19; Amos 2:6-7; 5:11-12.
The Lord has special concern of the poor people and will punish those
who take advantage of them.
Spiritual meaning for my life
today: When one looks at sinfulness one can usually
see selfishness if one is honest with one’s self. I have mentioned many times that my goal in
this life is to be content, at least the major goal that I have. Paul writes about contentment in Philippians
and he wrote this letter while in prison and it would seem that if one had
contentment while in prison that it would be real. When you look at contentment and trying to
learn contentment then selfishness cannot be a part of it. Circumstances cannot be something that should
make you discontent either. Paul writes
these words to the Philippians: “10 But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that
now at last you have revived your concern for me; indeed, you were concerned
before, but you lacked opportunity. 11 Not that I speak from want, for I have
learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. 12 I know how to get
along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and
every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry,
both of having abundance and suffering need. 13 I can do all things through Him
who strengthens me.” Paul was joyful
that the Philippian believers were going to be credited for giving him their
love offering than he was in getting it.
What a godly man he was.
My Steps of Faith for Today:
1.
Learn to be contentment.
8/14/2011
8:13:14 AM
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