Ready & Rely

 

Still Brewing 

Philippians 1:6, 2 Corinthians 3:18, Romans 12:2, Hebrews 10:14, Colossians 3:10, 2 Peter 3:18

☕ Justified in CHRIST and continually being sanctified - we are still brewing! ☕

Still Brewing: Coffee #22

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。..・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。..・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

Happy Monday, friends! As we head into this new week, and somehow the last week of July, let us be equipped with HIS Word, and solely rely on HIS dependence. 

"Then the king said to me, 'What are you requesting?' So I prayed to the God of heaven." - Nehemiah 2:4

First, let us heavily, solely, full-dependently, rely on JESUS CHRIST our LORD. I love that Nehemiah recognized he could do nothing of his own accord. In the middle of his conversation with King Artaxerxes, he prayed to the LORD. It struck me how constant his reliance on GOD was. It goes well with:

"pray without ceasing," - 1 Thessalonians 5:17

Also, Nehemiah knew that nothing that happened was by his own power or strength, but exclusively by GOD's sovereignty and full control.

"... And the king granted me what I asked, for the good hand of my God was upon me." - Nehemiah 2:8c

The other focus I had in my time reading some of Nehemiah was always having HIS Word at the ready, and a hunger for it. 

"And each of the builders had his sword strapped at his side while he built. The man who sounded the trumpet was beside me." - Nehemiah 4:18

Please know that the context behind this verse was the returned exiles of Jerusalem rebuilding the wall, and they had to be armed for all those who were attacking them. 

("But when Sanballat and Tobiah and the Arabs and the Ammonites and the Ashdodites heard that the repairing of the walls of Jerusalem was going forward and that the breaches were beginning to be closed, they were very angry." - Nehemiah 4:7)

When I read verse 18, I immediately thought of the armor of GOD. HIS Word is the sword. And the Jews who were rebuilding the wall, needed to have the full-dependence on the LORD, and be prepared for both construction and opposition.

For us, we need to be prepared as well. Having HIS Word in our minds and hearts, and always at the ready. 

Later on in the book of Nehemiah, I noted the attentiveness to the Word of GOD and the joy. I want to have my ears and heart opened when I listen to Scripture and sermons centered on HIM. I want to have my heart filled with eagerness and joy as I read and hear the Word of GOD!

"... And the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law." - Nehemiah 8:3c

"Then he said to them, “Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” And all the people went their way to eat and drink and to send portions and to make great rejoicing, because they had understood the words that were declared to them." - Nehemiah 8:10,12

I need to fill myself with HIS Word, let go of myself and my weak strength, and rely fully on HIM in the recognition of constant prayer.

LORD willing, see you all for our next cup of coffee together! 

- Sabina