Day 18

I have been doing my daily reading over the weekend but I have been a little preoccupied when it came to writing about it on my blog. Please for give me. Where I am as far as my reading is finishing up the book of Nehemiah. I remember when I first started it I really enjoyed reading it, but towards the end I will admit that I got a little bored because of the several lists that were mentioned . Last week I asked my Dad if it was really important to read the list of family names Nehemiah 7: 8-73, Nehemiah 10:1-28, Nehemiah 11:3-12:26 or the inventory list. He told me yes because it is important to know and understand lineage and where people came from. While I was reading Nehemiah I did see some references to the descendants of Aaron, Jeshua, and King Solomon. That made things relevant to me because I was very familiar with the roles those people played in the Bible . The lists also allowed for keep historical documentation to which of the different families came back to Jerusalem when the wall was finished.

As I am doing now with re-studying the Law of God in order to keep my commitment to Him , that is what these former exiles had to do with the help of one of God's chosen scribe, Ezra. Even if it is something you are revisiting you always discover new things. For example, the priest and the people learned of how they were hold festivals properly. The first festival during the earlier part of the fall the people learned," that the Lord had commanded through Moses that the Israelites should live in shelters during the festivals to be held that month" Nehemiah 7:14. Once they found that out, the people knew that they had to follow suit. During the Festival that occurred later in the fall, the priests had the Book of the Law of the Lord read out lout to the and afterwards they confessed their sins and praised the Lord as they recounted what events had brought them to this place -- Nehemiah 9:22- 10:39. This story in Nehemiah just let's me know that there might be still hope for us in the world today. We are so far removed from the practices of those days, but the Bible, that includes the Law, serves as our guide that we can use to live the way God had intended. The Israelites continuously disobeyed God, but He who is slow to become angry, stood by their side during their many trials and tribulations. God is also there for us and we must remember that. We can always go to him and re-commit to him. He will hear us.

Tomorrow's Reading - August 18
Esther 1:1-3:15 KJV NLT
1 Corinthians 11:17-34 KJV NLT
Psalm 35:17-28 KJV NLT
Proverbs 21:19-20 KJV NLT