Monday Mentionings: Dedication of the Wall: Nehemiah 12:27

Good News! I just checked and relief (as I would describe it) from the heat is in sight! By the time some of you read this, it may have already changed. I look forward to the warmer temperatures about March, but in October I look forward to the cooler temperatures.

After all the building that took place by the Jews, the wall around Jerusalem has been completed and is now being dedicated. Once a big project is completed, a time of celebration tends to follow. They celebrated "with gladness, with thanksgiving and with singing, with cymbals, harps, and lyres." (English Standard Version) God helped the finish the walls, but He was not finished with them. Just like God is not finished with us. We are both, in a sense, always "Under Construction". As we ended the series with a dedication, let us look at how we can dedicate ourselves, regularly, to God by these applications...

1. Smile - Rededicate yourself through a smile. A good, meaningful smile means that you are glad. Gladness has positive health results, promoting a longer life of service to God! So, smile, and then, go serve!
2. Thanksgiving - Rededicate yourself through being thankful. Many jobs can be very thankless. Rarely did I get "thanked" from a participating team, for umpiring. God gives and gives, and we probably overlook many of the things that He does give - clean air, potable water, etc. Be a servant of thanks!
3. Praise - Rededicate yourself through praise. What is a favorite praise song? Take time to sing or hum it regularly this week. As Psalm 40:3-4 talks about a "new song" that has been put in our mouth...maybe you can make up a new song to praise God with!
4. Instruments - Rededicate yourself through being instrumental. Be instrumental in getting the message of Jesus out there. Maybe it will be through a compliment, a card/e-mail, a phone call, being patient, or whatever. Just be conscientious about the many opportunities that we get to be God's hands and feet on earth. How will you be instrumental for Him?

Have a great week and look forward to the cooler temperatures!

Serving Him ~

Monday Mentionings: The Joy of the Lord is Your Strength - Nehemiah 8:9-12

God is Good....

Did you say or start to say "...All the time?" If you are at all familiar with that phrase, you are probably familiar with that response. No matter what goes on in our life our God is good! The joy that is found in our Lord is our strength. Maybe you've already needed that strength today (whenever you read this).

As we looked in Nehemiah 8:9-12 yesterday, we examined a phrase that we can use over and over in our lives today..."the joy of the Lord is your strength". There is so much gold found in that phrase! Not only is there gold in just "panning" the words to see what is found, but being able to recite that phrase and get comfort. I have said it over and over to myself last week and each time it seems to give me a jolt of comfort. I pray that you will find joy and strength in that phrase!!! See if you can use any of these additional applications this week...

1. "This is the day that the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it" - Psalm 118:24. If you know the song, try singing or humming it to yourself. See if it doesn't give you a bit of joy to your day. If you know of someone who is going through a rough patch, maybe this might be a verse you could write on a card/note to encourage them.
2. LORD, YHWH/Yahweh, Jehovah - names of power, of mystery, and of royalty. Say those names...what emotions did you feel? Tell Him that He is LORD of your day...see how your day goes as you remember that phrase through the day.
3. Knowing that God is with you as you go through life is something to give you strength as you encounter difficulties. David went up against a giant. David was smaller and had less "man" power, but he had a lot of God-power! His confidence didn't come because of his size or his weapon, but because he put his confidence in God! As you go up against "giants" this week, remember to pray and put your confidence in Him. (Scriptures from the David and Goliath incident that I used are at bottom)

This is a busy month for us with Fall Festival and Dolan Lake. Also, there are some other opportunities for us to be involved in: Power of Praying Husband, Power of Praying Wife, and Men's Ping Pong League. If you're interested in any of these, contact the appropriate people to get involved!

The next couple of weeks we'll be taking a small break from Nehemiah - resuming it on the 30th of September. If you have any ideas that you would like to hear a series on, let me know.

Have a Jesus-filled week!!!

Because of Him ~

------------------
SCRIPTURES:

1 Samuel 17:4-7
4 A champion named Goliath, who was from Gath, came out of the Philistine camp. He was over nine feet tall. 5 He had a bronze helmet on his head and wore a coat of scale armor of bronze weighing five thousand shekels; 6 on his legs he wore bronze greaves, and a bronze javelin was slung on his back. 7 His spear shaft was like a weaver's rod, and its iron point weighed six hundred shekels. His shield bearer went ahead of him. (NIV)

Verses 38-40
38 Then Saul dressed David in his own tunic. He put a coat of armor on him and a bronze helmet on his head. 39 David fastened on his sword over the tunic and tried walking around, because he was not used to them. "I cannot go in these," he said to Saul, "because I am not used to them." So he took them off. 40 Then he took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd's bag and, with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine. (NIV)

Verses 45-47
45 David said to the Philistine, "You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 This day the LORD will hand you over to me, and I'll strike you down and cut off your head. Today I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. 47 All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD's, and he will give all of you into our hands." (NIV)