September 7, 2010 – Nehemiah 9

We read here the history of the Jewish Church, from Abraham to Nehemiah.  reading from such a large period of time written over in just a short chapter you get a keen sense of the ups and downs in God’s people throughout their journey.  What it made me think of is why would we think we are any different.  Our culture makes us believe that we are never suppose to be down.  Up, up up and away at all times.  We are told our lives must be always ups, our country will be always up, the world itself should be always up and positive.  That is such a farce.  There is a purpose to down and there is a reason for downs.  In this history we read that when Israel disobeyed God, they were hit with downs.  Either other countries attacked or they were put into some type of suffering.  They would call out to God and in His infinite mercy He would bring them back up.  The world appears to be turning its back on God.  Why would we not expect a downer type world.  Yet all we hear is to always be positive, almost ignore the bad things or faults of the world. 

But that is not the scariest part.  The scariest part is that when there have been down times people have called out to God.  It appears our world is turning everywhere but God for the answers.  If that continues, I fear that we have not seen how far down we can go.  We will continue to sink until we turn to the only true answer.  Only then will God bring us from the abyss.  Let us all pray we don’t have to hit rock bottom before we realize where the only answer lies.