Nehemiah 9:32-37. “And now, our God, the great and mighty and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of unfailing love, do not let all the hardships we have suffered seem insignificant to you. Great trouble has come upon us and upon our kings and leaders and priests and prophets and ancestors—all of your people—from the days when the kings of Assyria first triumphed over us until now. Every time you punished us you were being just. We have sinned greatly, and you gave us only what we deserved. Our kings, leaders, priests, and ancestors did not obey your Law or listen to the warnings in your commands and laws. Even while they had their own kingdom, they did not serve you, though you showered your goodness on them. You gave them a large, fertile land, but they refused to turn from their wickedness. “So now today we are slaves in the land of plenty that you gave our ancestors for their enjoyment! We are slaves here in this good land. The lush produce of this land piles up in the hands of the kings whom you have set over us because of our sins. They have power over us and our livestock. We serve them at their pleasure, and we are in great misery.”
This is where you find yourselves. And this should be the cry of every heart. You have sinned egregiously. You have allowed evil to take over your land. You have walked away from me, my Word, my precepts, my commands. And now you find yourselves slaves in your own land – in a land of plenty, of beauty beyond measure, of richness – a land I gifted to you. I was once the leader of that land. Slowly you allowed me to be almost completely removed from your Nation. And now you find yourselves enslaved – in prisons you helped created and voluntarily entered. Will you fight to liberate yourselves, your children, your Nation? I will be beside you, helping you, strengthening you, giving your wisdom and discernment. But I will not fight this battle for you. You must be that army. It is precipice time – you yet have time to save yourselves, but very little time. What will you do?
Amanuensis 