Friday - Commitment

Nehemiah 9:38 – “And because of all this we make a sure covenant, and write it; and our princes, Levites, and priests, seal unto it.”

Look how the chapter ends. "And because of all this we make a sure covenant, and write it; and our princes, Levites, and priests, seal unto it" (Nehemiah 9:38). They didn't just feel sorry. They signed their names. Real confession always leads to real commitment.

It's not enough to feel something about your sin. It's not enough to say something about your sin. The question is, will you do something about it? If God has shown you something this week that needs to change, don't close this devotional without taking that step. Write it down. Tell somebody. Make it real.

And as you do, remember why you can. The greatest "but God" in the Bible isn't in Nehemiah. "But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ"(Ephesians 2:4-5). We were dead. Not sick. Not struggling. Dead. But God. Man crucified Jesus and laid Him in a tomb, "but God raised him from the dead" (Acts 13:30).

One prayer. A thousand years of failure. And the faithfulness of God on every single line. That's Israel's story, and if we're honest, it's ours. Whatever your sentence looks like today, it isn't finished. Not your failure. But God.