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“Will power does not change men. Time does not change men. Christ does.”
Henry Drummond
We will be reading through Nehemiah 12:27-46
Starting something new can be very exciting. We get pumped for the potential that it could bring, the change of pace from what was, and the fact that new may mean better. But Christianity has a habit of dedicating new things to the Lord.
We dedicate babies under the advisement of family and friends to be raised in a Christian home and supportive church. We dedicate new church plants under the watch of God as they undertake a new mission field. We even dedicate youth group mission trips as they go into the city or a third world country to make a difference and be Jesus to others.
Nehemiah knew along with who were present during the covenant celebration, the walls of Jerusalem needed to be dedicated to the Lord. The recent history of the Israelite people had been comprised of failure after failure, of the Israelite people and this ceremony would be the Ebenezar for them to move forward out of that past. (An ebenezar is a monument that was used as early as the time of Moses when he parted the Red Sea to memorialize what God had done for His people so that Israelites would not forget.)
When the priests and Levites had purified themselves ceremonially, they purified the people, the gates and the wall.
Nehemiah 12:30
Whether you are deciding to actually launch new parts of your church technology ministry, or simply to go into this new season with a new gusto, I encourage you to do a dedication. You certainly could go with glamour that Nehemiah did that included choirs, oils, and a procession, or you could simply pray for the future with your team.
Regardless, taking this time to consecrate your projects for God, noting that all you do is for His kingdom, sets a tone for yourself before God and for your team.
Use these reflection questions for the comments section.
- Dedication is a commitment, whether formal or informal before God. Have you and your team made a dedication to God? This may be your time to do so or to renew that commitment.
- A dedication is commemorated with something. Certainly you could take a techie twist with a pizza party or coffee bar as a way to remember it for future decades to come. Make it your own, but I encourage you to do something.
- A dedication can also have anniversaries to help remind people of this commitment that was made and even to re-inspire future generations or yourself. How are you going to hold to this dedication to keep the focus on God?
Speak your mind...