Our Strength

[359 words] There are a number of interesting scenes presented in the book of Nehemiah. One, often overlooked, is found in chapter 8. People were gathered in an open square to hear God’s word read to them. Ezra was the reader and it was an extensive reading, to say the least. All morning long he read. And, people listened attentively (8:3). With reverence, people stood. Careful explanation was given to be certain the hearers understood the meaning of what was read (8:8). The reaction of the people would lead us to conclude they saw glaring faults and failures in their lives. God’s word does that to us sometimes. It is like a mirror in which we come face to face with our imperfections. There is value in repentance when that happens. But, the encouragement given to the people by Nehemiah, Ezra, and the Levites might seem surprising. Verse 9 says,…