Pastor Bell's Words To Live By

Then on the twenty-fourth day of this month, the People of Israel gathered for a fast, wearing burlap and faces smudged with dirt as signs of repentance. The Israelites broke off all relations with foreigners, stood up, and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their parents. While they stood there in their places, they read from the Book of The Revelation of God, their God, for a quarter of the day. For another quarter of the day they confessed and worshiped their God. Blessed be your glorious name,
   exalted above all blessing and praise! You’re the one,
   God, you alone; You made the heavens,
   the heavens of heavens, and all angels; The earth and everything on it,
   the seas and everything in them; You keep them all alive;
   heaven’s angels worship you! (Nehemiah 9:1-3, 5-6 NIV).

The act of repentance is central to the Christian faith and it is through confession with our mouths that salvation is received and the process of restoration begun. From our text we see that Ezra gathered the people together and confessed on their behalf. Before the confession started all the people went on fasting putting on sackcloth on their backs and ashes on their heads to remind us of the seriousness of their intent to be restored. This reminded the people that our righteousness will never compare to that of God and that the ashes were acknowledgement that the repentance was real, i.e. people had burned all the things that they had placed before God.

After the process of repentance and confession was complete, the people were led into a time of worship and exultation. Worship is a vital ingredient in getting your spirit to accept what you have said with your mouth.

Today learn to confess, repent and rejoice. God is still God and will always be God.

Read Nehemiah 9 & Romans 10