Let’s Stop Acting Like Teenagers! (Nehemiah 1:8-9 Part 2)

Remember the word that you commanded your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples, 9 but if you return to me and keep my commandments and do them, though your outcasts are in the uttermost parts of heaven, from there I will gather them and bring them to the place that I have chosen, to make my name dwell there.’

THE STUDY:

          Nehemiah is a man who knows scripture. He is also a man who knows the consequences of the sins of a nation. He is made aware of the consequences by knowing scripture. God speaks to Moses, “If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples”! In verse 8 & 9 we see two human actions that have a divine reaction. One is negative and the other is positive. 1) If you are unfaithful God will scatter you about the world. But, 2) If you return to me & keep my commandments this relationship will be restored.

          The word “scatter” gives the impression, by its definition, as something that is shattered to pieces to a point that it could only be restored by divine intervention. God places himself in the position to be the only restoring possibility and so his conditions are as followed: return to me and keep my commandments. There is no time, distance, or space (uttermost parts of heaven) that can keep God from fulfilling His promise. The only thing that can keep God from restoring the broken pieces is the people themselves.

                  

WHAT WE CAN WALK AWAY WITH ….

• We walk away this morning with the understanding that this relationship with God is one that has conditions. These conditions are given to us so that we may be “His people” and have the life that was originally planned for us at the very beginning of time. If we dishonor these conditions there is a negative consequence.

APPLICATION:

          Teenagers seem to think parents are people who make their lives miserable and along the way get some type of enjoyment out of it. We tell them to do something or not to do something and if this goes against what the teenager had planned, we become the bad guy! I tell my children, all the time, their mother and I DO NOT lay in bed at night thinking of things to make their lives miserable. We tell them “do something” or “not to do something” for two reasons: 1) Because we know what’s best for them and we have their best interest at heart. 2) Because we love them more than anyone else on this earth.

          We can act like teenagers with God sometimes. Sometimes we believe God is trying to make our lives miserable instead of better and He sits on His throne and gets enjoyment out of our misery. He speaks to our heart, to “do something” or convicts our hearts to “not do something” and we get all bent out of shape about it.

          Today, we need to remember two things: First, God sees all, He knows all, and He has our best interest at heart. Secondly, HE LOVES US more than we can ever imagine. Let’s stop acting like teenagers and start acting like children of God who trust and obey, because there is no other way!

Blessings my friends

Pastor Rod