A Great Cry

8/14/2011 7:24:27 AM

SPIRITUAL DIARY

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 was 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 more concerned and 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