People can be messy… especially me.
You may not look at me and see it, but I've got a past. I've got a history, a story of heartache and
shame; a story of misunderstandings and a broken spirit. I have it.
You probably do too.
This is why joining together with friends to get down to the
nitty-gritty of life can be messy too.
Tonight I spent about two hours going over chapter one of
the book of Nehemiah in the Bible. It’s
a short chapter – only 11 verses. It’s a
scene setup, for all practical purposes.
Chapter one of Nehemiah doesn't have a whole lot of juicy detail that
splashes on you from the pages of old.
Rather, it’s quite factual, with a little emotion from the perspective
of the writer.
But…
There’s so much more.
There’s always so much more, isn't there? I have a history. You have a history. Nehemiah had a history, as did
Jerusalem. And while I’ll leave the
historical perspective of chapter one to my friend and pastor here, I’ll give you some
internal reflection.
Consequences
My history is not much different than that of the Israelites. I have had good days and bad days like them. The Israelites were told that their sin would lead them to destruction, and God has issued the same warning to me. I knew this even before I had an understanding of God in my mind. As children, we’re taught a basic moral concept of right and wrong. As adolescents, we test this concept. As adults, we live in its consequences. Nehemiah wept at these consequences; his heart broke because of them. He did not weep because he thought it was unfair; rather, he knew how ugly his heart and the heart of his people had become.
Redemption
Still, Nehemiah knew the promise of God was not only to punish wrong, but was to restore what was lost when people did right. (See verses 8-9 in chapter 1.) God promised his people an option for redemption when they turned to Him. God promises that for me, too. Through Jesus Christ, I have this prescription for grace with no expiration date. It’s available to me any time I call it in – turn to Jesus, He restores, He redeems, He heals.
Acceptance
Just like a medicine, I have to receive God’s grace. I have to accept it, allow it to cover me, and allow it to heal me. The Israelites had a lot of healing to do after being captive in Babylon, too. They had a lot of rebuilding of their lives, of their city, and of their commitment to the right living God had planned for them.
Amidst Bibles, brownies, and Boggle (the game!), I was
allowed to be messy tonight. I was
allowed to share shame and my journey through redemption and acceptance of God’s
grace. I felt I was in safe company with
Nehemiah – a beautiful soul that dealt with messy things. But Nehemiah’s story was not unplanned. And neither is my mess. God has a plan to use me to rebuild things
like He did Nehemiah. He can use you
too, if you let Him. It might get a
little messy, though.
Questions for Reflection:
- The Israelites were told that their sin would lead them to destruction. God has issued the same warning to you and I. What bad circumstances in your life are a result of sin, and make your heart break?
- Just like the Israelites, we have a redemptive option: turning our hearts back toward God. For us, it is through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ that brings complete redemption. Is your heartache any less knowing your sin can be forgiven? Knowing that Jesus has already paid the price to redeem it? Knowing there’s no more ransom on your head because of your past?
- What circumstances in your life do you need to allow God’s grace to cover? Which sin do you need to ask God to forgive? What forgiveness have you already asked for that you need to receive?
Nehemiah Bible Study
If you want to join my friends and I and dive into this FREE Bible study, click here! You can do it solo or start a group. The 12-week study is posted online each week along with a companion study guide. And if you do decide to jump into the fun, please email me with your thoughts on the lessons. I hope to hear form you!
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