Our lives are made up of rhythms. They’re so natural, we may not even think about what they are. Our breath and heartbeat keep us living; the rising and setting of the sun guide our day. The seasons, the tides - all affect our daily lives, but we can do nothing to change them.

Unlike the rhythms above, we can control some: the rhythm of repentance and restoration in our lives. These were the very practices Nehemiah was trying to restore in his people. He didn’t build the walls just to keep dangerous people out; he built the walls to bring his people in so they might begin these rhythms again and find out who they are and who God created them to be. They had lost their way, and Nehemiah was trying to help them find their way back.

Read: Nehemiah 8:1-4

When the people came inside the gates, they met at the Water Gate and asked Ezra, the scribe, to read God’s Word to them. God can call us to rebuild alot of things; but if our hearts are not in the right place, all we are doing is a religious act. It’s no mistake the people met here and asked to read Scripture. They were searching for answers, and God’s Word is the source of all truth. By gathering at this gate, they were revealing the priority of their hearts.

Many would have given up on them, considered them a lost cause with hardened hearts; but Nehemiah trusted God and believed they could be restored. Their softening hearts began the road to redemption.

We’ve all been there at one time or another. When we are not connected to God’s Word, we are not connected to our Creator, the Author of Truth. It is our Creator who shapes and molds our identity and tells us who we are. If He isn’t the source of our truth, then we are receiving lies and often believing them.

Journal: Describe a time when you were not connected to God’s Word and how that affected your life and your thoughts. What source of “truth” were you turning to instead?

We can know what church we go to, which family we belong to, and who we hang around. None of that tells us who we really are. Only God can call our identity out of us and reveal the true state of our hearts. This should be a comfort to us and help us fight insecurities. For what the Word of God reveals in me, the Holy Spirit of God works through me, and all it costs me is obedience. If I want to be restored, I have to say yes to the process, and then I can have all the Jesus I want. (Hebrews 4:12)

It requires rhythms of repentance, humbly seeking His Word and bowing to His will. The more we dive into the Word, the more we allow Him to chip away the hard places in our lives. Rhythms are important because they create movement. Whether that movement is taking us closer to God or further away is up to us.

What response do you need to make today to create a rhythm of repentance in your life? So often we run to other sources for truth before we turn to God. We can’t trust in our feelings, only in His Word. Let’s dive into God’s Word more, starting today.

Journal: After listening to Part 4 in our message series, Nehemiah, “Get In The Book,” what response do you need to make today to create a rhythm of repentance in your life? (i.e. Read God’s Word each day, Commit to the Bible Reading Plan, Join a Small Group, Start a Bible Study, Seek His Word first each day instead of social media, etc.)

Activation: Take the response from above and commit to starting it this week.

Prayer: God, I confess my need for You today and ask for Your forgiveness and grace. I know that truth is only found in You, yet I often try to find it in other places. Forgive me for forgetting how much I need You, and You alone, above everyone and everything else. Remind me daily to seek You first. Keep my heart tender to Your Word and chip away at the hard places in my life. Help me find my identity in You and not in the world around me. For You are my “refuge and my shield; I put my hope in Your Word.” (Ps. 119:114) Amen