Day 33
Now on
the twenty-fourth day of this month the people of Israel were assembled with
fasting and in sackcloth, and with earth on their heads.
Nehemiah
9:1
When
God begins a work, He will carry it through to completion. Often, we see God begin
moving through some formal endeavor. Maybe His work begins as part of a retreat,
revival, or some special Bible study. However, these times inevitably come to
an end. We come to a time when the retreat is over, the revival services
conclude, or the Bible study is complete. If the work that God began is genuine,
and we are submissive, His work in our lives will continue.
At
the conclusion of Nehemiah 8, we see the people participating in a solemn
assembly. This assembly was called for by the Law of Moses. This was a formal
time that they were to set aside to seek the face of God at the conclusion of
the Festival of the Tabernacles. Now, we see the people in a time of repentance.
This is a work of God that has continued past what was formally called for.
This was a time when the people of God were seeking His face because they wanted
to, not because they have been told to.
We
are given many opportunities to pursue God in a formal, structured way; Bible
studies abound, conferences are readily available online, and we have more
books at our disposal than at any point in history. However, the real work of
God does not take place in these formal settings, as important as they are. The
real work of God takes place when we are apart from these things and God can
speak to us personally about our lives.
Make
sure that you are creating plenty of margin for God in your life. Make sure
that you are giving Him opportunity to speak to your heart and move in your
life. Do not reduce your relationship with God down to those things that are offered
formally. Make time for Him.
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