55-Days Devotional Journey - Day 46
July 16, 2025 (Wednesday)

Scripture:
Now on the twenty-fourth day of this month the people of Israel were assembled with fasting and in sackcloth, and with earth on their heads. And the Israelites separated themselves from all foreigners and stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers. And they stood up in their place and read from the Book of the Law of the Lord their God for a quarter of the day; for another quarter of it they made confession and worshiped the Lord their God. Nehemiah 9:1-3 (ESV)

Reflection:
After the Feast of Tabernacles and the Sabbath on the eighth day, the Israelites separated themselves from the Gentiles and confessed their own and their ancestors' sins to God with sorrow. They wore sackcloth and covered their heads with dust, confessed their sins to God with their whole bodies, and called on God for forgiveness and mercy.

Confession and repentance are an indispensable part of the life of believers. Only when we first admit our own injustice and weakness can we humble ourselves and serve others. However, we should not only confess our own sins to God, but also reflect on the sins committed by our family, ancestors, church, country, and the world, and ask God for forgiveness.

We rarely see the sins committed in the group as related to ourselves, but the repentance of the Israelites was never individual, but collective. If we look at the world today, we only see if we have made mistakes, but ignore the reality that we are in a sinful world and are always facing the reality of hurting each other. We may choose to withdraw from the group and misunderstand God's will.

God's will has always been calling for a sanctified group to not only be willing to confess their own sins, but also to pray for the sins of others and regard the sins of others as their own. Only when the church confesses its unrighteousness before God together and calls on the precious blood of Christ to cleanse us, will the love of Christ cover us and allow us to gain spiritual revival.

Pray that we will not only focus on our own sins, but also regard the sins of brothers and sisters and the church as our own sins, and ask God for mercy and forgiveness.

Reflection Question:
Do we have the habit of interceding for the sins of others, the church, and the world? Are we willing to intercede with our brothers and sisters for the sins of each other and the group?

Prayer:
Dear Heavenly Father, you are a holy and righteous Lord. It is the precious blood of your only Son, Christ, that allows us to come to your throne of grace and pray without fear. Please cleanse the sins in each of us, and forgive us for the harm we have caused to each other because of our sins. Please cleanse our church, let your unconditional love cover our sins, so that we can be sanctified and become vessels suitable for your use. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I pray, Amen.

By Pastor Edmond Chung