Devotional Thoughts

Genesis 2:18    "And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him." Out of all of God's creation, this is the only thing that He pronounced as being "not good".  "It is not good that the man should be alone."  As you read the next verses, God formed every beast of the field and every fowl and brought them to Adam. Adam was blessed to give names to every one of them. He gave names to all cattle and all fowl of the air and to every beast of the field. "... But for Adam there was not found an help meet for him." There was not a help that was satisfactory for Adam that was found among the animal kingdom. "And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof;  (22)  And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man." (Genesis 2:21-22)  The key to ...

Genesis 2:15-17    "And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.  (16)  And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:  (17)  But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." God "put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it."  What labor was required of Adam when he was placed in the Garden of Eden?  Thorns and thistles did not come forth until after the transgression, but until then it seems the labor that Adam put forth was simply to eat off the fruit trees. Eden was truly a place of beauty, comfort, and joy.  Adam was blessed to be able to enjoy the shade of the trees and watch God's beautiful animal creation roam around. There was only one condition of restriction that was placed upon Adam. "And the LORD God commanded the man, saying,...

Genesis 2:7   "And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul." There is much to be said about this passage.  We could talk about the power of God in forming a man out of the dust. We could talk about Adam's inability to do anything until God "breathed into his nostrils the breath of life".  All of those things present a beautiful word picture of the impact of God's work in creation. But the subject I want to present is that of God's grace and mercy.  We should understand that God knows everything from the beginning to the end. See Isaiah 46:9-11.  With that understanding, let us look at some things that you and I may have taken into consideration if we had the ability to be the Creator. God knew that Cain would slay Abel and yet He formed man. In the days of Noah, God "saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that ever...

Genesis 1:31    "And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day." "God saw every thing that He had made." God saw every - yes, every - thing that He had made. He saw light. He saw darkness. He saw firm ground and the water. He saw the sun, moon, and stars. He saw the grass and trees. He saw every fish. He saw every beast of the earth. And yes, God saw man. He declared every thing to be "very good". God made man in His image. I do not understand that to mean that man looks like God nor does God look like a man. Rather Adam was made in a sinless state.  He was made pure as God is.  We know that did not last very long, but God declared every thing, including Adam to be very good. As we go forward in this study, let us be reminded of God's holiness and His perfect work of creation. As we think on those things, let us also stop to realize that man lost that state of sinlessnes...

Genesis 1:1-3    "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.  (2)  And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.  (3)  And God said, Let there be light: and there was light." Some days, I find it difficult to have a beginning point. Today, I surely have that beginning place because we saw it yesterday... "In the beginning God..."  I think it is important to be reminded that God is God without any outside help or assistance. That might sound so elementary and yet it seems the reminder is in order. May I say that God does not need me, nor you, for anything.  Our belonging to the family of God did not increase His value nor ability in any manner. The opposite side of that picture is that without God, we have no ability whatsoever.  I take the words of Jesus very literally: "... without me ye can do nothing." (John 15:5) We can see a pic...

Genesis 1:1    "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth." We are very inquisitive by nature.  We want to know how things work, when and where did an action begin, and who was able to put something together in order for it to work properly.  Children like to take things apart to see what makes it work. My problem was that I could not get them put back together in the proper manner in order for it to work again. It is important to have wisdom enough to know the answer when it is presented to us. The problem lies in being able to accept an answer even when we do not understand how that answer applies to our question. One such question that requires such an approach is this: "How did the universe begin?"  Now, there are many answers that have been given and quite honestly most of them require more faith than the one answer that is true. Some believe that two great masses collided and from such turmoil, complete order erupted. The problem with that is...

Luke 15:3-7    "And he spake this parable unto them, saying,  (4)  What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?  (5)  And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing.  (6)  And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost.  (7)  I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance." As we read this parable, I pray we can reflect upon the deep love that our Lord Jesus Christ has for us. How deep is our Father's love for us that He sent His Son into the wilderness of this world to bring us back home to Him.  I think of a few examples of fathers loving their sons in such a manner. Jacob sent Joseph ...

Matthew 11:28   "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. " Stop and think about this verse. We read it often. We hear it quoted. We have heard numerous sermons on this verse. But have we really stopped to think about the importance of these words spoken by our Lord Jesus? We see people of the world who are called, "stars". They may be actors or sports stars. They may be government officials. But the people who are called famous are usually surrounded by guards who are hired to prevent anyone from getting close to that individual. But let's look at this verse again. Jesus says, "Come unto me." Jesus! God in flesh! The Creator of this universe and all that is in it has an "open arm" policy that invites us to come into His divine presence.  We can talk to Him at any time of day or night. We can walk with Him and enjoy the strength and peace of His presence with us. Jesus! The risen Lord says, "Com...

Nehemiah 13:7-9    "And I came to Jerusalem, and understood of the evil that Eliashib did for Tobiah, in preparing him a chamber in the courts of the house of God.  (8)  And it grieved me sore: therefore I cast forth all the household stuff of Tobiah out of the chamber.  (9)  Then I commanded, and they cleansed the chambers: and thither brought I again the vessels of the house of God, with the meat offering and the frankincense." The priest who had the oversight of the chamber of the house of God was allied to Tobiah while Nehemiah had gone back to report to the king all the progress of the work. Remember Tobiah? He was a thorn in the flesh to Nehemiah from the very beginning of the work. He had done everything in his power to discourage and stop the work of rebuilding the wall. Through the power of God, Nehemiah had been able to withstand his deceitfulness. But now, Nehemiah was gone for a while and the enemy worked his way into the inner chamber. Yes, the...

Nehemiah 12:43    "Also that day they offered great sacrifices, and rejoiced: for God had made them rejoice with great joy: the wives also and the children rejoiced: so that the joy of Jerusalem was heard even afar off." We live in a busy world. We have allowed "things" and "stuff" to control us to the point that it seems we do not have time to do that which is the most important. I realize that in all likelihood, we will never go back to the time as it was when I was a little boy. I used to hear my Daddy talk about when he was a little boy and it all seemed like a dream of things that I would never experience. I now look back and realize that things I experienced as a boy will never be enjoyed by my grandchildren. Families gathered on Sunday afternoon and just enjoyed each other. Front porches were filled with stories and laughter. The children were all in the yard playing or sitting on the steps listening. There was no concept of "time" to the ...

Nehemiah 10:39    “For the children of Israel and the children of Levi shall bring the offering of the corn, of the new wine, and the oil, unto the chambers, where are the vessels of the sanctuary, and the priests that minister, and the porters, and the singers: and we will not forsake the house of our God.” Once again, I use one verse for the entire chapter. The first part of the chapter lists men’s names who were sealed unto the service of the Lord. I do not discount their names, for they were important examples unto the people of Judah who were making a vow unto the Lord that they would honor Him in all things. When you read through the chapter, you realize how serious they took their vow. They promised to give the firstfruit of the land unto the Lord. They would give the first of everything - fruit, crops, corn, cattle and sheep unto the Lord. They vowed to observe the feasts and festivals that honored the Lord for all He had done for them. I read all their vows and am rem...

Nehemiah 9:1-2    "Now in the twenty and fourth day of this month the children of Israel were assembled with fasting, and with sackclothes, and earth upon them.  (2)  And the seed of Israel separated themselves from all strangers, and stood and confessed their sins, and the iniquities of their fathers." As I read through the book of Nehemiah, I am realizing the impact of prayer. Nehemiah prayed when he heard the news concerning the devastation that was in Jerusalem. He prayed before he went in before the king. He prayed before he answered the king. He prayed when he saw how the wall lay in waste and the gates had been burned. He prayed when the enemy attempted to stop the work. He prayed. He prayed. He prayed! Now the people are called upon to pray. They have gathered themselves together, humbly seeking the face of God. They are confessing their sins before God. As you read the entire 9th chapter, you see the Levites standing on the stairs of the walls and they beg...

Nehemiah 8:18    "Also day by day, from the first day unto the last day, he read in the book of the law of God. And they kept the feast seven days; and on the eighth day  was  a solemn assembly, according unto the manner." Nehemiah 9:1-3    "Now in the twenty and fourth day of this month the children of Israel were assembled with fasting, and with sackclothes, and earth upon them. (2)  And the seed of Israel separated themselves from all strangers, and stood and confessed their sins, and the iniquities of their fathers. (3)And they stood up in their place, and read in the book of the law of the LORD their God  one  fourth part of the day; and  another  fourth part they confessed, and worshipped the LORD their God." I picture the booths that were made as being like the "lean to's" we used to make as boys.  It was fun to get under them and even camp under them at night. We would have a campfire, roast hot dogs and then m...

Nehemiah 8:14-15     "And they found written in the law which the LORD had commanded by Moses, that the children of Israel should dwell in booths in the feast of the seventh month: And that they should publish and proclaim in all their cities, and in Jerusalem, saying, Go forth unto the mount, and fetch olive branches, and pine branches, and myrtle branches, and palm branches, and branches of thick trees, to make booths, as  it is  written." Something very important is happening in Jerusalem after Nehemiah has led the people to rebuild the wall.  They understood their need for the Lord while doing the work, and now, they are acknowledging their need for God after it has finished.  They are committing themselves into the hand of God. They had gone through a time of being in captivity. They are being renewed by the Word of God and are taking it seriously. They were reminded of how God had brought their forefathers out of the captivity of Egypt. ...

Nehemiah 8:9-10    "And Nehemiah, which is the Tirshatha, and Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites that taught the people, said unto all the people, This day is holy unto the LORD your God; mourn not, nor weep. For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law.  (10)  Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength." The people were weeping because they knew they had been sent into captivity because they had neglected and disobeyed the Word of God. As it was being read to them, they were pricked in their hearts. But Nehemiah and the others reminded the people that this was a festive occasion. By God's mercy, they had been allowed to return to Jerusalem specifically to rebuild the wall that had been completely torn down.  The priest, scribe, and Levites reminded the ...

Nehemiah 8:5-6    "And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people; (for he was above all the people;) and when he opened it, all the people stood up:  (6)  And Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God. And all the people answered, Amen, Amen, with lifting up their hands: and they bowed their heads, and worshipped the LORD with their faces to the ground." The people had requested the book of Moses (the law) to be read by Ezra the scribe. Provision was made for the reading by building a pulpit where Ezra could stand and read to the people.  The pulpit was a logistical matter in that all the people had gathered in the street, and by standing on it, Ezra could more easily be heard. There was a definite response as his voice carried out to the people. The people stood up as the Word was being read. This was out of respect for the very Word of God. It is still a proper stance as we stand when the Word is read. We do this in honor and acknowledgement that the Bibl...

Nehemiah 8:1    "And all the people gathered themselves together as one man into the street that  was  before the water gate; and they spake unto Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses, which the LORD had commanded to Israel." The work of rebuilding the wall was now completed. There is no doubt that the people had been firmly reminded of their need for the Lord. Prayer had been as much a part of the rebuilding as had been the placing of the stones in the actual wall.  Nehemiah had constantly reminded them of the good hand of the Lord being upon them. They had seen the certainty of this fact as God had helped them overcome every attack against them. Now they have had time to reflect. Notice the progression of the Word of God being returned.  Wall completed. God's hand had been upon them. Victory had been experienced. All of this had occurred after decades of being enslaved by an enemy nation. The people now make a request of Ezra the scrib...

Nehemiah 2:18    "Then I told them of the hand of my God which was good upon me; as also the king's words that he had spoken unto me. And they said, Let us rise up and build. So they strengthened their hands for  this  good  work ." I go back to this verse in the 2nd chapter to show God is unchanging. We may, at times, feel like God has forsaken us. We know, by the Word of God, that He has promised never to leave us and never to turn His back upon us.  But we often need reminding. In the 6th chapter, the adversaries tried to entice Nehemiah to go into their territory. They surely meant to do him harm.  When that didn't work, they made false accusations against him. They accused him of trying to overthrow the authority of the king. Nehemiah knew that he had letters from the king giving him permission to do this work. When that didn't work, they tried to use influential power to discourage Nehemiah. Remember Tobiah? He and Sanballat are the ring le...

Nehemiah 6:1-2    "Now it came to pass, when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and Geshem the Arabian, and the rest of our enemies, heard that I had builded the wall, and  that  there was no breach left therein; (though at that time I had not set up the doors upon the gates;) (2)  That Sanballat and Geshem sent unto me, saying, Come, let us meet together in  some one of  the villages in the plain of Ono. But they thought to do me mischief." The work of the wall was finished. All that lacked was to set up the gates. There can be no doubt that Nehemiah and all the men were worn out from their hard labor. It was imperative to complete the wall; yet the enemy could still intrude without the gates being in place. The two interrupters were still active in trying to disrupt the work.  They knew the defence had been set to prevent them from entering the city, so they went to plan B. They sent a message to Nehemiah, "Come to us in the plain of Ono." If we ...

Nehemiah 4:23    "So neither I, nor my brethren, nor my servants, nor the men of the guard which followed me, none of us put off our clothes, saving that every one put them off for washing." I almost passed by this verse. I'm thankful the Lord brought my attention to it this morning.   Why would Nehemiah and the men not "put off our clothes" except to wash them?  Remember Sanballat and Tobiah?  They are relentless in trying to stop the work on the wall. They despise the men who are committed to restoring peace and protection to the city. They have had their way for so long that they do not want to give up any territory that has been their domain. They will stop at nothing. They are roaring lions trying to devour the men and the work.  Because of that, the men sleep in their clothes in order to be ready should an alarm sound because of a sudden attack - day or night. As I read that verse there were several verses that came to my mind.  The Holy Spirit...

Nehehmiah 4:13-14    "Therefore set I in the lower places behind the wall, and on the higher places, I even set the people after their families with their swords, their spears, and their bows.  (14)  And I looked, and rose up, and said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, Be not ye afraid of them: remember the Lord, which is great and terrible, and fight for your brethren, your sons, and your daughters, your wives, and your houses." The enemy had determined to try to attack from within the city of Jerusalem. They knew if they could infiltrate the workers and cause discouragement that the work would cease. Nehemiah set his heart unto the Lord in prayer when he knew of their plan. We can know that the Lord answered his prayer by giving him wisdom to warn the people and  position them strategically. "I even set the people after their families with their swords, their spears, and their bows."  He understood the strength of family a...

Nehemiah 4:11    "And our adversaries said, They shall not know, neither see, till we come in the midst among them, and slay them, and cause the work to cease." As I sit here praying about this verse of Scripture, a part of me says this morning should be a short and direct devotion. But I want to keep this verse in context of the book of Nehemiah as well as the application to our lives today.  Let's look at the two previous verses to see the state of mind of those who were doing the work of rebuilding the wall.  "Nevertheless we made our prayer unto our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them.  (10)  And Judah said, The strength of the bearers of burdens is decayed, and there is much rubbish; so that we are not able to build the wall." (Nehemiah 4:9-10)  We can see they were praying and seeking God's help, but it seems they were spending a lot of time looking at the mess as they were praying. Remember Peter in the storm? ...

Nehemiah 4:7-9   "But it came to pass,  that  when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites, heard that the walls of Jerusalem were made up,  and  that the breaches began to be stopped, then they were very wroth, (8 ) And conspired all of them together to come  and  to fight against Jerusalem, and to hinder it (9)  Nevertheless we made our prayer unto our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them." Good ole Sanballat and Tobiah - you can count on them to be right in the middle of the action. But their being in the middle of the action is not a good thing. They are there trying to disturb and disrupt the work that was petitioned by God. They were angry because the people were dedicated to the wall with a mind to get the work accomplished. They tried to discourage with their words but that didn't work. So now they are planning an all out attack on the workers. ...