Page 13 - March 2025 - Truth & Tidings

Let us mention briefly seven scriptural reread but also obeyed. Josiah command-
features that are relevant to personal re- ed that the rediscovered book of the law
vival: was to be read aloud to the people (2Ch
1. Reassessment 34:30-31). When Ezra read and spoke from
Nehemiah undertook a thorough and a newly erected pulpit, the people stood
honest assessment of the situation in for hours, listening attentively to every
Jerusalem (Neh 2:12-18). A ruined and word (Neh 8:1-8). For ourselves, every
defenceless city required urgent attention. morning should find us alone with God,
In the same way, we must be bold enough seeking guidance from the Word and
to ask ourselves the hard questions: Is my praying for strength to obey it.
love for Christ becoming cold? Is there 5. Reconstruction
unconfessed sin in my life? Am I giving Resuming useful service for God may
the Lord my best? Such questions require happen slowly, but it must happen. “Re-
honest answers. pent, and do the first works” was the call to
2. Repentance the Ephesian church (Rev 2:5). The return-
Confession leads to repentance – a ing Babylonian captives labored long and
change of mind and heart leading to a hard to rebuild the temple as well as the
change in direction. Turning away from walls and gates of the city. While brothers
self and sin should lead us to turn back and sisters have different public or private
to Christ and draw near to Him. This is roles in local church life, there is work for
as necessary for a believer as for an un- all to do. Do not be a spectator; be a helper.
believer. We overhear Ezra’s sorrowful 6. Resistance
prayer after national sin came to light:
“O my God, I am ashamed and blush to The devil will try to divert any believer
lift up my face to thee, my God: for our who seeks a closer walk with God. The
iniquities are increased over our head, book of the Acts records a recurrent pat-
and our trespass is grown up unto the tern of external antagonism and internal
heavens” (Ezr 9:6). friction that threatened to derail the prog-
3. Return ress of God’s work. On a personal level,
Under the leadership of Zerubbabel, al- be prepared for opposition, often from
most 50,000 Jews left Babylon and headed unexpected sources. Keep your eyes fixed
for Jerusalem and Judah, God’s appointed on Christ and do not look back.
place (Ezr 2:1,64-65). In the story of the 7. Rejoicing
prodigal, to put things right he had to re- When we return to the Lord and stay
turn home where his tender-hearted father close by His side, we rediscover the fulness
was waiting for him (Luk 15:20). Little is of His joy (Ezr 6:22). There is nothing that
accomplished when we seek to run away can compare with this. Nehemiah declared
from our problems and responsibilities that “the joy of the LORD is your strength”
and hide somewhere else. This hinders (Neh 8:10), and in those days “the joy of
full restoration. Jerusalem was heard even afar off” (12:43).
4. Reverence for the Word We too can “rejoice in the Lord alway”
In every revival, the centrality of God’s (Php 4:4). Do not wait; enjoy His presence,
Word was reestablished. It was not only power and provision today.

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