Foundations Week 29, Day 2

Scripture Read: Nehemiah 9
Title:  The People Confess and Repent

H.E.A.R. 
(H) Highlight verse: "And the Israelites separated themselves from all foreigners and stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers"  Nehemiah 9:2

(E) Explain:  On the twenty-fourth day of the month the Israelites read from the Book of the Law and they confessed and repented of their sins and they worshiped God.  They acknowledged the faithfulness and patience of God as they recalled Israel's unfaithfulness to Him.  They recounted how Gow has been with His people even when they turned their backs on Him and that his actions were indeed righteous.  They talked about the reason that the Israelites were in captivity was because of their idolatry and turning their backs on God.  

(A) Application:  Confession, submission and repentance are important aspects of a believer’s life especially when we desire to get right with God.  We must make it a point to confess often to God our short comings and sins.   I John 1:9 says, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness." James 5:16 says, "Therefor, confess your sins to one another and pray for each other. that you may be healed." and Psalm 51 is the prayer of confession from David after his sin was exposed by the prophet Nathan for his adulterous affair with Bathsheba and murder of her husband.

Submission is always the first act of repentance.  Submission is when a person resigns himself or is put into subjection to or yielding to someone.  We do well in acknowledging and believing that we are not in control, God is.  The sooner we are able to submit ourselves fully to God the sooner we will see that when we do, things are on the way to how they should be.  Submission is probably one of the more difficult things to do because we are giving the controls of our lives over to someone else and humans like to feel like they are in control. In repentance it is not enough to just say, “I am done sinning now let’s move one.”  Repentance means stop doing the sinful act you are doing and do the complete opposite.  

(R) Respond: Lord, may I be disciplined and reminded daily to confess and repent of my sins to you.