In the book of Nehemiah 9 we find something more along the lines of the sudden revival. Most of chapter 9 is Nehemiah’s prayer of repentance. He outlines their history and all the ways they have turned their back on God in the midst of His great goodness to them.
Neh. 9:25-28 They captured fortified cities and fertile land; they took possession of houses filled with all kinds of good things, wells already dug, vineyards, olive groves and fruit trees in abundance. They ate to the full and were well-nourished; they reveled in your great goodness. "But they were disobedient and rebelled against you; they put your law behind their backs. They killed your prophets, who had admonished them in order to turn them back to you; they committed awful blasphemies. So you handed them over to their enemies, who oppressed them. But when they were oppressed they cried out to you. From heaven you heard them, and in your great compassion you gave them deliverers, who rescued them from the hand of their enemies. "But as soon as they were at rest, they again did what was evil in your sight. Then you abandoned them to the hand of their enemies so that they ruled over them. And when they cried out to you again, you heard from heaven, and in your compassion you delivered them time after time.
When Nehemiah finished praying, the people wanted to make an oath with God. They began the oath in chapter 10 by listing the areas in which they were most likely to be tempted. Sex and money were the biggest issues and next was keeping a heart to worship. They pledged to stay faithful in these areas. They knew what their weaknesses were. They knew they were prone to go back to those ways. We, too, know where we are tempted. If you know those things that are tempting you have caused you to fail, if you’ve confessed to the LORD and repented and have chosen not to go back to those things again, take an action to demonstrate that intent. Let us gather around the cross. It was on the cross that all our sins were dealt with. He who knew no sin was made to be sin for us. He took it upon Himself and took the justice those sins deserved. You and I nailed Jesus to the cross with our sins. I think it will help us to get a sense of the horror of sin and just how completely it was dealt with if we will nail ours there on this cross.
What is the idol or sin that comes between you and the LORD. Has pride made you so independent that you don’t seek God’s direction? Has greed taken you into the bondage of debt? Has pornography slided you away from the Saviour? Has alcohol and drugs taken you into a deep abyss of low self-esteem? Come and nail it to the cross as symbol of getting right with God in that area of your life. Romans 6:6-8 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— because anyone who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.
TAKE THE LIFE CHANGING DECISION TO FOLLOW JESUS TODAY. HE ALONE CAN SAVE YOU. JESUS IS LORD!
Ps Litty Kurian
