today's meditation (Neh.13:23-31) Trusting and Obeying in Confidence

(Dear Lord Jesus, guide me and give me insight as I read and study Your word, and let it be the meditation of my heart...)

(Nehemiah 13:23-31)  In those days I also saw that the Jews had married women from Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab. 24 As for their children, half spoke in the language of Ashdod, and none of them knew how to speak the language of Judah, but only the language of his own people. 25 So I quarreled with them and cursed them, and struck some of them and pulled out their hair, and made them swear by God, “You shall not give your daughters to their sons, nor take any of their daughters for your sons or for yourselves. 26 Did Solomon the king of Israel not sin regarding these things? Yet among the many nations there was no king like him, and he was loved by his God, and God made him king over all Israel; yet the foreign women caused even him to sin. 27 Has it not then been reported about you that you have committed all this great evil by acting unfaithfully against our God, by marrying foreign women?” 28 Even one of the sons of Joiada, the son of Eliashib the high priest, became a son-in-law of Sanballat the Horonite, so I chased him away from me. 29 Remember them, my God, because they have defiled the priesthood and the covenant of the priesthood and the Levites.

30 So I purified them from everything foreign, and assigned duties to the priests and the Levites, each in his work, 31 and I arranged for the delivery of wood at appointed times and for the first fruits. Remember me, my God, for good.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

Many churches have not just watered down the gospel message, but have stopped teaching basic biblical principles altogether.  They might harp on some sins, but turn a blind eye to others.  One sin that has become "acceptable" among some groups is premarital sex, and believers marrying unbelievers.  Just because it is acceptable in society, does not mean God "is fine with that".  

Nehemiah uses king Solomon as an example.  Here was the wisest man ever to live, who began as an astute king desiring to please God;  but having married pagan women - not even he could remain steadfast.  I've heard far too many people say that their future unbelieving spouse was "fine" with them being a Christian.  But this never goes well.  Unless the unbeliever becomes a Christian, the Christian spouse will invariably drift away from the church and God.

When God tells us something, it is never to make our lives miserable.  We can be confident in trusting and obeying God, knowing that He wants the very best for us.