Pastor Bell's Words To Live By

Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is sacred to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.” (Nehemiah 8:10NIV).

If one does not understand why they do something it makes it difficult to move forward so that you do not repeat previous mistakes. When the people heard the word being read and explained to them (8:8) they bowed their heads and with their faces to the ground they worshipped the Lord and repented.  They realised that that there were certain times in their history when God delivered them even though they did not deserve it.  And before fasting and praying, Nehemiah instructed them to go and eat and drink and share their food with those who could not afford to buy for the Joy of the Lord was their strength.

For the JOY of the Lord to become our strength we must exercise the spiritual discipline of fasting. However, before you go on a fast, it is imperative that you know what you are doing and why you are doing it for. There must be a reason for abstaining from food for a period of time. As we have learned, fasting and prayer gives us a deeper understanding of the word as God reveals his secrets to us. The spiritual disciplines of reading, fasting and prayer are the building blocks for a fruitful Christian life. Read the word with understanding, go to a place where you can hear it being explained [typically a church], apply the principles learned in context and receive blessings from the Lord. We cannot circumvent these; many of us want the blessings but do not want to make the sacrifices. 

The process of believing, repenting and confessing; being baptised in water and becoming a disciplined one is a must for everyone who follows Jesus (Matt 28:19&20).

Today, read the bible and ask the Lord for understanding as you read; worship with understanding also and allow the Joy of the Lord to become your strength.

Read Ezra’s prayer of confession for the sins of his ancestors in Nehemiah 9:6-37