Pastor Bell's Words To Live By

On the second day of the month, the heads of all the families, along with the priests and the Levites, gathered around Ezra the scribe to give attention to the words of the Law (Nehemiah 8:13 NIV).

The importance of reading and understanding the word is vital. Having heard the word, the people were passionate to hear more so that they can do what God had instructed them to do.  Having done things their own for a long time and gone into captivity, there was a genuine desire to come back to God and do things his way.

God says: love the Lord with all your heart soul and mind (Deut 6:5) and love your neighbour as yourself. And Jesus added, seek first the kingdom of God and all his righteousness and everything will be added to you (Matt 6:33).

The problems we face when we do our own ‘thing’ are often compounded by the distance we move away from what God intended for us in the first place. The process of restoration involves repentance, a change of mind, deliverance, breaking with the things of the past and healing, making those parts that are wounded well again.

This only occurs when we allow the word of God to occupy first place in our lives. The psalmist wrote this: ‘you (God) have exalted your name and your word above everything’ (Psalm 138:2b). So as we read and apply the word to our lives we will see great transformation in every area of our daily walk.

So today, like the repentant Israelites, develop a passion for God’s word, the Holy Bible and take it in copious amounts daily.

Read Nehemiah 8:13-18