Playing the Tape Forward | Nehemiah 13:15-18

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In those days I saw in Judah people treading winepresses on the Sabbath, and bringing in heaps of grain and loading them on donkeys, and also wine, grapes, figs, and all kinds of loads, which they brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. And I warned them on the day when they sold food. Tyrians also, who lived in the city, brought in fish and all kinds of goods and sold them on the Sabbath to the people of Judah, in Jerusalem itself! Then I confronted the nobles of Judah and said to them, “What is this evil thing that you are doing, profaning the Sabbath day? Did not your fathers act in this way, and did not our God bring all this disaster on us and on this city? Now you are bringing more wrath on Israel by profaning the Sabbath. — Nehemiah 13:15-18

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Nehemiah shows up to discover that not only have the people neglected the tithe for the Levites (read yesterday's devotional), but the people of Jerusalem have already disregarded their Sabbath commitments.

Remember, in Nehemiah 10:31, the people committed to reinstating the Sabbath. The agreement was not to purchase goods from foreigners on the Sabbath. This was with the understanding that Sundays were standard days for trading in the present Persian culture. The issue was that Persian traders kept showing up in Jerusalem on Sabbath days, and the people were tempted to buy because it was easy.

This is precisely how temptation works in every believer's life. We make new or renewed commitments to God, and then these things progressively happen:

Cultural patterns continue.
We encounter a "weak" moment.
Old desires are resurrected.
The temptation to act is made accessible.
We justify the action.
We act in disobedience.
We are right back in the same boat as before.

For Nehemiah, the insanity and results are apparent. But for the people, it appears it isn't. This is why Nehemiah plays the tape forward for the people at the end of this text. He wants them to play the tapes forward so they will see the results of their compromised commitments.

Today, here is what I want you to do. Identify a commitment or goal you have made. It could be a spiritual, physical, or financial goal. Then, for a few minutes, play the tape forward. Play the tape forward in two ways: First, what it would look like if you kept this commitment and followed through on this goal. Second, what it would look like if you did not keep this commitment and failed to accomplish the goal. Imagine both ends in your mind. Be imaginative and descriptive. And then, like Nehemiah does with the people here, settle on the vision and ending you want.

Take some time to do this today because tomorrow, we are going to see how Nehemiah is going to make accomplishing spiritual goals even easier for the people.

#SabbathCommitment, #NehemiahWisdom, #TemptationStruggles, #SpiritualGoals, #GuardingTheFaith, #ResistingTemptation, #ChooseWisely

ASK THIS:

What specific commitment or goal have you made recently in your life, and how can you guard it against external pressures and temptations, similar to Nehemiah's challenge with the Sabbath?

As you play the tape forward in your mind, envisioning the consequences of both keeping and breaking your commitment or goal, which outcome aligns more with your desired vision for your life, and what steps can you take to reinforce your commitment towards that vision?

DO THIS: Play the tape forward in your commitments.

PRAY THIS: Lord, I humbly ask for the strength and wisdom to guard my commitments and goals as Nehemiah did, resisting the temptations that may lead me astray. Help me envision the path of obedience and grant me the determination to follow it, knowing it leads to Your blessings and fulfillment in my life. Amen.

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