Read & Rejoice

After prayer, I raised my head and said, "Heavenly Father, I need your Holy Spirit to guide me through Your Word" and opened Nehemiah 8; I love this chapter. The Jewish people are lead through prayer and the Word of God by Ezra; the priest & scribe, Nehemiah and the Levites. Ezra preached & taught The Word of God, and the people rejoiced that they understood it and obeyed God's Word. What a magnificent way to live life by the Word of God. I also noticed, the Jewish people requested to hear God's Word, in 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". After working hard, being threatened, and mocked for months, they reached out for The Word of God. Hallelujah! The Word of God is so refreshing. Especially when you gather with friends, family, sometimes new people you meet through Christ, and discuss His Word. Everyone experience different things through Christ, so our spirits are moved differently when receiving God's Word. However, we are all walking towards the same destination, so discussing our paths, whether in the past or current acquaintance with God, is refreshing, builds a relationship with your new brother and sister in Christ, and also brings a more clearer understanding of God's characteristics. Gatherings in Christ, distinctively when you allow God's Word to guide the discussion, are reviving. You walk away rejoicing to God, and as you obey His Word, submitting to His Will, and repeat through obedience.

What caught my attention is Nehemiah 8:8,9, "So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading. 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". When I read/hear The Word of God, it moves my spirit and I cry, not in sorrow but in joy. I feel so special because He's speaking to me. Usually God is responding to a prayer, current condition, or reminding me He loves me. I thank Him for His Word, wisdom, knowledge, and understanding, because every time I receive His Word, it apply to my current situation or prepares me for a storm ahead. With this being said, I submit to God, in Jesus name, in praise and worship, through all things; because He is always watching, protecting, guiding, and providing for me. God is my Father, Heavenly Father, and as an orphan in this world, these things are all you ever hoped for. To have a parent who loves you in spite of the resistance. This pass Sabbath, an Elder at Terrell SDA Church said, "Even those that don't believe in God, Jesus still died on the cross for them too." That blew my mind, "In spite of" is all I can say. A love so unconditional. I want to love like this.

God's Word is so passionate, just like His love for us. Worshiping Him, and reading His Word stirs my spirit, and I love God even more; like a everlasting rejuvenation in every scripture. Nehemiah 8:10 say, " 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". Praise God! I love this scripture because this is what we do every Sabbath after church. The conversations at the table are always inspiring and brings a firm foundation in the friendship. I be so excited to talk about how I experienced God that pass week, and even more excited to hear my brother and sister in Christ experience as well.