Tags
Nehemiah arrives in Jerusalem prepared to find a broken wall that needs fixing. He also finds broken lives that need to repentance and a return to righteous living. With the help of Ezra, who read God’s law, the people repent and promise to change their lives by obeying God’s word. No matter where we are, we are always at risk of falling away from living a righteous and godly life. We must constantly check our behavior against the standards God has placed in the Bible. If we are faithful to follow God’s word, we will be less likely to suffer from the consequences of sin in our lives because it is meant for our protection.
Daily Devotion 
I love the communal prayers of the people because they always recount all that God has done in their lives. It is when they recount their history with God that they respond to him with gratitude and turn their hearts back to him. It is so easy to forget when we get caught up in our daily lives, so we have to take time to remember. It’s just like any relationship. In marriage, you get caught up in the daily routine and it’s easy to take our spouse for granted or get upset with them over stupid stuff. But when we sit down and reflect on the good times, the ways they serve us, the ways the love us, it completely changes our perspective.