Don’t Drift Away

Bible Reading

• Nehemiah 8-9
• Proverbs 11
• Hebrews 2

What Spiritual Gift has God given for me to thank Him and praise Him for in worship today? (Rom 1:11)

Heb 2:9 What we do see is Jesus, who for a little while was given a position “a little lower than the angels”; and because he suffered death for us, he is now “crowned with glory and honor.” Yes, by God’s grace, Jesus tasted death for everyone.

Heb 2:14-15 Because God’s children are human beings—made of flesh and blood—the Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the devil, who had the power of death. Only in this way could he set free all who have lived their lives as slaves to the fear of dying.

Heb 2:17-18 Therefore, it was necessary for him to be made in every respect like us, his brothers and sisters, so that he could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God. Then he could offer a sacrifice that would take away the sins of the people. Since he himself has gone through suffering and testing, he is able to help us when we are being tested.

What an incredible gift! “God’s Riches at Christ’s Expense” The incredible riches of God’s grace. (Eph 1:7) He made Jesus to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God! (2 Cor 5:21)

Dear Lord Jesus, thank you for dying in my place. Thank you for humbling yourself and becoming a man, made in human flesh (Phil 2:6-8). Because only as a human could you die for me! Only by dying could you break the power of sin for me. This was the ONLY WAY you could set me free from the power of sin and death! (Heb 2:14-15) You are the way. You are the truth. And you are my life, my eternal, redeemed, perfectly righteous life. (John 14:6) Thank you Lord Jesus.

What encouraged me in my faith? (Rom 1:12)

Neh 8:12 So the people went away to eat and drink at a festive meal, to share gifts of food, and to celebrate with great joy because they had heard God’s words and understood them.

Neh 9:3 They remained standing in place for three hours while the Book of the Law of the LORD their God was read aloud to them. Then for three more hours they confessed their sins and worshiped the LORD their God.

Can you imagine standing in place for 3 hours listening to the law being read out loud? It wasn’t even a sermon. It definitely wasn’t some great charismatic speaker either. It was the book of the law. In today’s Bible “the law” is the 1st five books. It’s hard to know what exactly Nehemiah had Ezra read. For sure he read Leviticus. That’s where they learned about the the feast (Neh 8:13-14). But, they stood and listened to the law being read. Then afterward, they were so convicted, they spent the next 3 hours confessing their sin and worshipping God!

May we never short change God by limiting or failing to spend time with Him.

I pray you will fall in love with the Word of God. I pray you will look forward to opening it’s pages every day and that God will meet you there. I pray as you spend time in His Word, you will sense His presence, and hear His voice. May that inspire you to continue to return every day!

What spiritual fruit does God want to work in me and in those I share this with today? (Rom 1:13)

Heb 2:1 So we must listen very carefully to the truth we have heard, or we may drift away from it.

This is so true. It’s so easy to become lazy in our spiritual life. Busyness is a tremendous enemy of devotion. We become so busy that we don’t take time with God. When that happens, we begin to drift.

I have to wonder if that is how Israel ended up in the state they were in? After all that God had done for them, (Neh 9:6-15, 19-25) “They refused to obey and did not remember the miracles you had done for them. Instead, they became stubborn and appointed a leader to take them back to their slavery in Egypt.” (Neh 9:17) “Despite all this, they were disobedient and rebelled against you. They turned their backs on your Law, they killed your prophets who warned them to return to you, and they committed terrible blasphemies.” (Neh 9:26) How did they get there? I am sure it started with a little compromise here, another there; a distraction here, a distraction there. Before they knew it, they had drifted away.

What are ways that we drift away?

• busyness
• distractions.. distracted even by ministry, if it keeps me so busy I don’t have time for God
• distracted by hobbies, likes. leisure…

Dear Lord Jesus, please don’t allow them to drift away from you. May they be sensitive to you, and listen to you, and be quick to return to you when you show them.