“So they read it in the book of the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading” (Nehemiah 8:8).

Before us is one of the grand celebrations in the Old Testament. Nehemiah and the workers have completed the wall. Jerusalem once again has a fine and fitting wall. The wall of the ancient city provided not only protection from enemies, but often it demonstrated the value the people placed upon their Lord. Nehemiah realized that the wall had a far greater significance than just looking nice. He viewed it as a great work for God. Now it was time to celebrate. What a day it must have been as the people of the Lord gathered in the street that was before the water gate! Ezra opened the book of the Lord and blessed the great God. The Levites assisted him in making the law of God clear to understand and easy to apply, according to our verse for today. Pray for your pastor and Sunday school teachers. Ask the Lord to give them wisdom that they might not only teach the Word of God but that they might make it easy to understand and practical in its application. In one of my early pastoral ministries, a dear man by the name of Jim Van Hart told me, “Pastor Mike, I want to encourage you to remember that when you preach, keep the cookie jar low enough that even a young child can reach in. We grown-ups won’t mind bending over.” I never forgot that bit of advice. Why would we preach the Word of God without explaining it and helping folks to apply it?

For today: Be praying for your pastor, and be ready to apply the Word of God.