Psalm 27:13–14 – “I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.”

Psalm 27 gives us four requirements for waiting on God: confidence, worship, prayer, and courage.

But David gives us more than a command. He also gives us a promise: “He shall strengthen thine heart.”

God doesn’t promise that the wait will be easy or short. He promises to strengthen us through it.

Whatever you are waiting for, God hasn’t forgotten you. He isn’t late, and He isn’t wasting a single day. He is working while you are waiting.

Psalm 27:10–12 – “When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up. Teach me thy way, O Lord, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies. Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies: for false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty.”

David honestly admits that he nearly gave up. He was discouraged and ready to lose heart.

But something stopped him: he still believed in the goodness of God.

Then David preached to his own heart: “Wait on the Lord…wait, I say, on the Lord.”

Courage isn’t the absence of discouragement. It’s refusing to let discouragement win. Sometimes courage means trusting God for one more day.

Reflect: What truth about God do you need to preach to your heart today?

Psalm 27:7–9 – “Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice: have mercy also upon me, and answer me. When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, Lord, will I seek. Hide not thy face far from me; put not thy servant away in anger: thou hast been my help; leave me not, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation.”

David stops talking about God and begins talking to God.

He brings request after request: hear me, answer me, teach me, lead me, and deliver me. He doesn’t pray once and quit. He keeps bringing every need to the Lord.

When the answer doesn’t come quickly, we are tempted to stop praying. But God’s delay does not mean God’s denial.

God always answers prayer: yes, no, or wait. Prayer doesn’t force God to follow our schedule. It keeps us close to Him while we wait for His timing.

Reflect: Is there a request you need to begin bringing to God again?

Psalm 27:4–6 – “One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in his temple. For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock. And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the Lord.”

When we are waiting, we tend to wonder, worry, or whine. David chose another response: worship.

His circumstances hadn’t changed. Saul was still pursuing him, and danger was still near. But David chose to seek God before the answer ever came.

In verse 6, David declares, “I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the Lord.” Worship wasn’t simply a feeling. It was a choice.

It’s easy to praise God after the answer comes. It takes faith to worship Him while we are still waiting.

Reflect: Are you turning your waiting room into a worry room or a worship room?

Psalm 27:1–3 – “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell. Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident.”

David was surrounded by enemies, but he refused to let fear outweigh his confidence in God.

In these verses, David looks at the present, remembers the past, and trusts God with the future. His confidence wasn’t based on his feelings. It was built on who God is and what God had already done.

The God who carried you before is carrying you now. He will carry you through whatever comes next.

Waiting on God begins with confidence that the One we are waiting on can be trusted.

Reflect: What has God already done that gives you confidence to trust Him now?

Luke 9:23-24: "And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it."

Luke 9:23 lays out three hard things Jesus asks of anyone who wants to follow Him: deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Him daily. Jesus knew those terms would sound costly, so He doesn't stop there. In the very next verse, He tells us why it's worth it: "For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it" (Luke 9:24).

Here's the paradox: the person who tries to save his own life, who clings to control, comfort, and self-rule, will ultimately waste it. But the person who gives his life fully to Christ will discover the life he was created to live. Jesus isn't trying to take life away from you. He's showing you where real life is found.

You may lose some comfort. You may lose the approval of others. You may have to give up your own way. But you will never lose by giving your life completely to Jesus Christ.

Takeaway: You can't out-give Jesus; losing your life for His sake is the only way to actually find it.

Luke 9:23-24: "And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it."

When Jesus says "follow me" in Luke 9:23, that word carries more than just showing up day after day. It also carries imitation and loyalty. To follow Christ means to become like Christ, not just to know what He said, but to learn to live the way He lived, love the way He loved, forgive the way He forgave, serve the way He served. An admirer watches from a distance and applauds. An imitator gets close enough to copy.

It also means loyalty. In the ancient world, a rabbi's disciples walked behind him closely enough that everyone watching knew exactly whose disciple they were. Following was never a private arrangement; it was public allegiance. To follow Jesus means He holds our highest loyalty: not part-time, not conditional, no matter what comes our way.

If people can stay loyal to a sports team through winning seasons and losing ones alike, how much more should we stay loyal to the One who didn't just give us a season, but eternal life?

Takeaway: Imitation and loyalty are how the people around you know exactly whose disciple you are.

Luke 9:23-24: "And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it."

The third thing Jesus asks in Luke 9:23 is simply this: follow me. In the Greek, that phrase is one word, akoloutheō, and it's written in the present tense: continuous, ongoing action. It doesn't mean "follow Me for a while." It means keep on following.

Think about following someone through traffic. You don't pull in behind them at a light and then wander off ten minutes later; the moment you stop following, you're lost. It's the same with Jesus. Salvation happens in a moment, but following happens every day. It's not a decision you made once; it's a direction you keep choosing.

So the question isn't "Did you follow Jesus?" The question is "Do you follow Jesus? Are you following Him today, right now?" Not just on Sundays. Not just when it's easy. Every day, every moment.

Takeaway: Following Jesus isn't a decision you made once; it's a direction you have to keep choosing, today and every day after it.

Luke 9:23-24: "And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it."

In Luke 9:23, right after telling us to deny ourselves, Jesus adds a second requirement: take up your cross daily. We sometimes cheapen this phrase into ordinary inconveniences, a stubbed toe, a bad back, "just my cross to bear." But when Jesus said it, His audience knew exactly what He meant. A cross wasn't a metaphor for hardship; it was an instrument of death. A person carrying one was walking toward their own execution.

Just before this, Jesus had told His disciples that He would suffer, be rejected, and die. Now He tells them, and us, that following Him means being willing to walk the same road of sacrifice. History bears this out: eleven of the twelve apostles were martyred for their faith. Even John, the only one to die of natural causes, was exiled.

For most of us, this won't mean physical persecution. But it will mean sacrifice: standing for truth when it's unpopular, losing friendships or opportunities because of your faith, giving up comfort or convenience for the sake of Christ. Taking up your cross means willingly embracing whatever that cost looks like for you, every day.

Takeaway: Following Jesus was never promised to be safe; it was promised to be worth it.

Luke 9:23-24: "And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it."

In Luke 9:23, Jesus says that anyone who wants to follow Him must first "deny himself." It's easy to hear that as giving up a few pleasures or living a simpler life, but Jesus means something deeper. This is self-dethronement. It's stepping down from the throne of your own life and handing the controls to Him.

By nature, we want to be in control. We have plans, ambitions, and desires that shape our decisions, and we'd rather negotiate with God than surrender to Him. But you can't serve two masters (Matthew 6:24), and you can't follow Jesus while still trying to lead yourself. Paul understood this when he wrote, "I die daily" (1 Corinthians 15:31), not as a slogan, but as a daily choice to hand the throne back over.

Denying yourself isn't about misery. It's about trusting that Jesus knows what's best, even when His Word goes against what you want. The question stops being "What do I feel like doing?" and becomes "What has God said?"

Takeaway: Denying yourself isn't losing your life; it's handing the throne back to the only One who was ever meant to sit on it.

Matthew 18:34-35 –  "And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him. So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses."

Here's the tragic irony of the whole parable: the servant had just walked out of the king's presence completely free, and by refusing to release someone else, he ended up back in bondage. Free one moment. Bound the next. He thought he was punishing the man who owed him. Instead, he became the prisoner.

That's what unforgiveness actually does. It promises control (like holding onto the debt somehow gives you power over the person who hurt you). But all it produces is torment. To hold a grudge, you have to keep the account open. You have to keep remembering. You have to keep recalculating what they still owe you. And eventually you realize the debt isn't the only thing you're holding – it's holding you.

Jesus isn't saying we earn God's forgiveness by forgiving others. This servant had already received mercy he could never deserve.

What Jesus is saying is that mercy which has genuinely reached your heart will change how you treat the people who hurt you. If it hasn't changed that yet, it's worth asking what's still standing in the way.

Think back over this week – the name you named on Wednesday, the comparison you made on Thursday. What would it actually look like, this week, to let it go? Not to say it didn't happen. Not to pretend it didn't hurt. Just to stop being the one standing guard over a debt that was never yours to collect in the first place.

Matthew 18:32-33 – "Then his lord... said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me: Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee?"

Notice what the king doesn't say. He doesn't say the hundred pence didn't matter. He doesn't say the servant had no right to be upset. He simply asks him to set his hurt next to the debt he had already been forgiven.

Do the math for a second. Ten thousand talents is about sixty million days of labor. A hundred pence is about a hundred days. The debt this servant had just walked away from was roughly six hundred thousand times greater than the one he refused to release. It's like being pardoned from a life sentence and then suing your roommate over a broken coffee mug.

This is the turn every one of us needs to make. Your pain doesn't stop being real when you set it next to the cross – it becomes small. Not because it didn't matter, but because what Christ carried was so much larger. Their words get smaller because the cross is bigger. Their betrayal gets smaller because the cross is bigger. The weight you've been carrying gets smaller because the cross is bigger.

Try it today with whatever you named yesterday. Put it, honestly, next to what you've already been forgiven. Not to dismiss it, just to see it in proportion.

Matthew 18:28 – "But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest."

This is the verse that makes the story so uncomfortable, because it's so familiar. A man who was just forgiven an unpayable debt walks out of the throne room and grabs another man by the throat over something small by comparison. That kind of reaction doesn't come out of nowhere. Something had been sitting under the surface, and the moment he saw that face, it came rushing back up.

Maybe you know that feeling. You didn't plan to feel your stomach tighten, but a name showed up on your phone. You didn't plan to relive the conversation, but somebody mentioned what happened and it was suddenly as fresh as the day it happened.

Here's what's important to notice before going any further: Scripture never pretends the hundred pence didn't matter. It was real money — roughly three months' wages for a laborer. The debt in this story is never called fake or small on its own terms.

Whatever your hundred pence looks like –  a spouse who broke their vows, a parent who was never there, a friend who betrayed your confidence – it was real. It cost you something real. Forgiveness doesn't start by pretending otherwise.

Today, just be honest about what your hundred pence is. Naming it isn't the opposite of forgiving it. It's usually the first step toward actually doing so.

Matthew 18:23-27 – "Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants. And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents... Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt."

Ten thousand talents is not a number Jesus picked at random. It's the largest figure his listeners could imagine, around sixty million days of labor. A debt so enormous that no amount of hard work, no repayment plan, no promise to try harder would ever close the gap. The servant falls down and begs for time, as if time was ever going to be enough. It wasn't.

That's the picture of where every one of us stood before God. Romans 3:23 puts it plainly: all have sinned and come short of His glory. Not almost enough. Not close, with a little more effort. Short – the way this servant was short by sixty million days he didn't have.

And then the king does something the servant never asked for and could never have earned. He doesn't extend the loan. He doesn't lower the payments. He cancels the debt entirely. The servant walked in owing everything and walked out owing nothing.

That's the gospel in one verse. Before you think about anyone who owes you anything, sit with how much you were forgiven. Not partially. Not on a payment plan. Entirely, at the cost of Someone else.

Matthew 18:21-22 – "Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven."

Peter's question sounds reasonable. Somebody hurts you again and again – surely there's a limit. Surely at some point you've paid your dues as the forgiving one and you're allowed to stop. Seven felt generous to Peter. More than generous, really. He was probably expecting Jesus to pat him on the back for it.

Instead, Jesus reframes the whole question. He's not handing Peter a bigger number to count to. He's telling him that forgiveness was never meant to be counted at all. The moment you're keeping score, you've already misunderstood what forgiveness is.

That's worth sitting with today. Most of us don't consciously decide to keep a ledger on the people who've hurt us, it just happens. We remember the number of times. We remember the pattern. We remember the exact words. And somewhere along the way, forgiveness quietly turns into bookkeeping.

Think about the person whose name still tightens your chest a little. Are you keeping score with them, even without meaning to? What would it look like to stop counting altogether?

Luke 5:17-26 — “And it came to pass on a certain day, as he was teaching, that there were Pharisees and doctors of the law sitting by, which were come out of every town of Galilee, and Judaea, and Jerusalem: and the power of the Lord was present to heal them. And, behold, men brought in a bed a man which was taken with a palsy: and they sought means to bring him in, and to lay him before him. And when they could not find by what way they might bring him in because of the multitude, they went upon the housetop, and let him down through the tiling with his couch into the midst before Jesus. And when he saw their faith, he said unto him, Man, thy sins are forgiven thee. And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, Who is this which speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone? But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answering said unto them, What reason ye in your hearts? Whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Rise up and walk? But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power upon earth to forgive sins, (he said unto the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy couch, and go into thine house. And immediately he rose up before them, and took up that whereon he lay, and departed to his own house, glorifying God. And they were all amazed, and they glorified God, and were filled with fear, saying, We have seen strange things to day.”

Who does Jesus think He is?!

Well, lets deduce a few things together.
Jesus forgave the mans sins —> Only God can forgive sins = Jesus is God!

Jesus read the minds of the religious leaders —> Only God knows our thoughts =
Jesus is God!

Jesus healed the man physically and spiritually. He proved His authority. Jesus is absolutely, uncontestedly, indisputably God. However, there were two responses. One glorified God, the other rejected out of pride.

Today, the world is provided a choice. Is Jesus a liar, lunatic, or is He truly Lord? The choice is ours. It is our job to tell the world who He is. Have you decided? Have you done your part to tell others?

Today is the day of salvation. You may need to do that. You may need to be the one who tells others about it. Who is Jesus to you? 

Luke 5:21-26 — “And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, Who is this which speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone? But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answering said unto them, What reason ye in your hearts? Whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Rise up and walk? But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power upon earth to forgive sins, (he said unto the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy couch, and go into thine house. And immediately he rose up before them, and took up that whereon he lay, and departed to his own house, glorifying God. And they were all amazed, and they glorified God, and were filled with fear, saying, We have seen strange things to day.”

There were two responses to Jesus‘ miracles. He had forgiven a man his sins, proven His authority by healing his palsy, and even read the minds of the religious leaders. Many saw these miraculous acts and were amazed, and they left glorifying God because of the strange things they had seen. God got the glory.

The other response was critical, though. Jesus had done a wonderful thing, and many rejoiced. But the religious leaders had a critical heart. They did not see these acts as wonderful or amazing. They saw them as a threat. They would go on being a stumbling block to Jesus and His ministry, ultimately being the very force that would lead to His crucifixion.

Today, we are given a choice to respond. You can come to church with a critical heart just trying to find issues. You can be critical of others, of itinerary, of pastors, of music, or anything under the sun.

The other response is one of amazement, wonder, awe, and love for our God. We have nothing to offer, but all that we have we can give to the Lord with a heart that is pure and honest…not critical.

Which are you?

Luke 5:21 — “And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, Who is this which speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone?”

The news of Jesus was not going unnoticed by the religious leaders. Jesus regularly taught and preached to huge crowds of people, and many were turning to Him instead of the temple. He was making waves among the scribes and Pharisees, who were the leading religious figures at the time and were constantly trying to trap Him.

Here, He professes to have forgiven a man of his sins! The scribes then asked, “Who does He think He is?!” This man has just admitted to doing something that only God can do. They were appalled by such a thing.

The question remains today: who does Jesus think He is? The claims of the Son of Man are audacious and bold…but true. Jesus is the Christ. He is the Son of God.
Who is He to you?

Luke 5:21-25 “And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, Who is this which speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone? But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answering said unto them, What reason ye in your hearts? Whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Rise up and walk? But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power upon earth to forgive sins, (he said unto the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy couch, and go into thine house. And immediately he rose up before them, and took up that whereon he lay, and departed to his own house, glorifying God.”

Jesus claimed to have authority. He spoke to the man and forgave his sins! No one but God can do that! He claimed authority, but after His claim he performed a wonderful miracle. He made the lame man walk!

Jesus healed the sick, caused the blind to see, and, as we see here, made the paralyzed man get up and walk away! That is our God! That is who we put our faith and trust in. He has done it for them, and He wants to work in your life as well.

Today, He may not heal in the way He did this man, but we get to walk through our life with Jesus. He has the power above all else. Are you relying on Him? Is He Lord in your life?

Luke 5:17-20 — “And it came to pass on a certain day, as he was teaching, that there were Pharisees and doctors of the law sitting by, which were come out of every town of Galilee, and Judaea, and Jerusalem: and the power of the Lord was present to heal them. And, behold, men brought in a bed a man which was taken with a palsy: and they sought means to bring him in, and to lay him before him. And when they could not find by what way they might bring him in because of the multitude, they went upon the housetop, and let him down through the tiling with his couch into the midst before Jesus. And when he saw their faith, he said unto him, Man, thy sins are forgiven thee.”

These men did everything they could to get their paralytic friend to Jesus. After lowering him into the room, Jesus, who was teaching to a multitude, forgave the man of his sins! This was something only God could do!

Listen friend, Jesus understood that this mans greatest need was not physical. Despite his terrible state and paralysis, Jesus knew that this man needed to be forgiven. What a wonderful thing it is that He did.

Today, do you remember when your sins were forgiven? When you came to Jesus broken over your sins, brought them to him for forgiveness, and as 1 John says, “he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” What a great way to praise the Lord today.

Maybe you have never done that. Today, consider the truth of this account. Jesus did not first heal his sickness, he healed his soul. You and I need our soul healed as well. We all fall short of God‘s glory and are in need of a Savior. Jesus will forgive your sins.

Acts 8:3-6 “As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison. Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word. Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them. And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did.”

“Keep moving forward!” is what you may see on a motivational calendar or cat poster. It is an encouragement that whatever may be in your way, keep going. Don‘t quit! Press on!
It may seem cliche, or silly, or even dumb, but it is true!

The Christians of Jerusalem had every reason to quit. They were facing prison or even death! However, as they were scattered they preached the gospel. Philip did not stop preaching. He kept moving forward, and saw much fruit from it!

Today, whatever the obstacle, difficulty, or stuggle God wants to help…if you just keep moving forward. Don’t mistake a roadblock for a failure. Don’t let the discouragement weigh you down. Keep moving forward! God is by your side through it all!

Acts 8:3-4 “As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison. Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word.“

Saul was the forerunner of the great persecution of the early church. He was a man who was powerful, influential, and dangerous. He caused havoc for the people and drug men and women away from their homes, children, and lives to jai….

BUT GOD!

Verse 4 is so encouraging! While great persecution ensued, God was still at work!
He worked through the problems. He worked through the struggle. He worked through the roadblock!

Today, God can work through your roadblock. It may seem impossible, but He can. It may seem insignificant, but it means the world to Him. Whatever you are facing, God is still at work!

Acts 8:1 “And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles.”

Progress is so encouraging. I love to see things going well for others and, of course, in my own life!

The church in Jerusalem was seeing much progress. Jesus Christ had instituted the church there, and Peter had preached on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2, and according to verse 31, 3,000 people were added to the church! How amazing! How incredible!

However, with this progress came a hindrance. Saul had stoned Stephen, and the world saw its first Christian martyr. This snowballed into a “great” persecution of the church in Jerusalem, causing many to flee for their lives.

For you and I, the fact of life is that our progress for the Lord will at some point be hindered. There WILL be a roadblock. The question is, what are you going to do about it?
Today, what might be hindering you? We all face hindrances, roadblocks, or obstacles…but what can we do about it? Today, let God be in charge when the road gets blocked.

Nehemiah 13:29-3 –  Remember them, O my God, because they have defiled the priesthood, and the covenant of the priesthood, and of the Levites. 30 Thus cleansed I them from all strangers, and appointed the wards of the priests and the Levites, every one in his business; 31 And for the wood offering, at times appointed, and for the firstfruits. Remember me, O my God, for good.

Galatians 6:9 - "Let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not." 

Nehemiah's story doesn't end with a finished wall or a mountaintop celebration. It ends with a prayer, "Remember me, O my God, for good," after doing the hard, unglamorous work of guarding what God had already rebuilt.

That's the real ending of this series. Ruins became revival, but revival isn't a moment you frame and hang on the wall, it's something you keep tending. Faithfulness isn't one great decision. It's the daily choice to go back and guard it again.

Reflect:

-       Looking back over this week, holiness, commitments, time, home, where is God asking you to guard something today?

-       What's one specific, concrete step you'll take this week, not just to feel convicted, but to actually act?

Nehemiah 13:23-28 – In those days also saw I Jews that had married wives of Ashdod, of Ammon, and of Moab: 24 And their children spake half in the speech of Ashdod, and could not speak in the Jews' language, but according to the language of each people. 25 And I contended with them, and cursed them, and smote certain of them, and plucked off their hair, and made them swear by God, saying, Ye shall not give your daughters unto their sons, nor take their daughters unto your sons, or for yourselves. 26 Did not Solomon king of Israel sin by these things? yet among many nations was there no king like him, who was beloved of his God, and God made him king over all Israel: nevertheless even him did outlandish women cause to sin. 27 Shall we then hearken unto you to do all this great evil, to transgress against our God in marrying strange wives? 28 And one of the sons of Joiada, the son of Eliashib the high priest, was son in law to Sanballat the Horonite: therefore I chased him from me.

Proverbs 22:6 - "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." 

The children in Nehemiah's day spoke the language of Ashdod because that's what they heard. Children repeat what surrounds them. That's not an indictment of the kids, it's a mirror for the home.

The question isn't whether your children will pick up a language spiritually. They will. The question is which one they'll hear spoken at your table.

Reflect:

-       What do the people in your home hear you get excited about, what fills your conversation?

-       What's one practical way you could make the language of faith more audible in your home this week (a prayer before dinner, a verse discussed at breakfast, talking about what God is doing)?