Getting In Line With Scripture | Nehemiah 13:1-3

GET THE GALATIANS JOURNAL: https://bit.ly/devogalatians

On that day they read from the Book of Moses in the hearing of the people. And in it was found written that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever enter the assembly of God, for they did not meet the people of Israel with bread and water, but hired Balaam against them to curse them—yet our God turned the curse into a blessing. As soon as the people heard the law, they separated from Israel all those of foreign descent. — Nehemiah 13:1-3

CALL OUT: To all the men jumping in to lead other men with the 30 Men Who Lived With Conviction book. There were a lot of you. I am super excited you want to lead. Also, we are in chapter 13 of Nehemiah, which means we are almost done. Which means we are starting a new book of the Bible soon. Next is Galatians, a New Testament book. Go to the link today and get your Galatians Scripture Journal now so you can take notes and follow along.

What has happened here is that after opening the Scripture again, the people discovered they had made some wrong assumptions about worship procedures. They stumbled on a text from Deuteronomy 23:3–6, which stated that certain foreigners were not supposed to be participating in the worship of God. This troubled them, so they made the necessary change.

There are times when we read Scripture that this will happen to us. We are going to read something in the text, and it's going to bother us. Often, we are bothered by it because we are doing it or someone we know is doing it. And it's right at this moment we get to make a crucial choice. We can either choose to act on it or decide to dismiss it.

What the followers of this time did, at least at this moment, was choose to act on it. They adjusted their life to Scripture, not the Scripture to their life. This is always what obedient followers do.

Scripture is the divine plumb line of God. Scripture provides us with the unwavering standard of truth and righteousness. Just as a construction plumb line ensures that a building is upright and aligned with the earth's gravitational pull, Scripture helps us align our lives with God's will and purpose. Therefore, when we read Scripture and stumble into a plumb line, we don't adjust the plumb line. We get in line with it, understanding it's the standard. This means believers should always make one humble assumption when they read Scripture—we are wrong, and it is right.

And sometimes, this can be challenging. This is because making a change to an unplumbed life sometimes means we have to tear down the walls and rebuild everything on a new foundation that is leveled correctly so we can replumb the framework of our entire lives. And this is why many non-believers and believers don't like Scripture. Scripture demands we get in line and make the change, not the other way around.

Always remember: Adjust your life to Scripture, not Scripture to your life and liking.

#ScriptureTruth, #BiblicalObedience, #AligningWithGod, #SpiritualGrowth, #DivineGuidance, #HumbleFaith, #LifetoScripture, #ObedientBelievers, #FaithfulLiving, #WordofGod

ASK THIS:

How can you identify areas in your life where you might be "dismissing" Scripture rather than aligning your life with it, and what steps can you take to make the necessary changes?
Reflect on a specific instance in your life where Scripture challenged your beliefs or actions. How did you respond, and what lessons did you learn from that experience that can guide your future obedience to God's Word?

DO THIS: Assume you are wrong and Scripture is right.

PRAY THIS: Father, I humbly ask for the wisdom and strength always to align my life with Your unchanging Word, even when it challenges me. Help me to embrace obedience and make the necessary changes in my life, knowing that Your Word is the divine plumb line of truth and righteousness. Amen.

PLAY THIS: Jesus Does.