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Day 131, or May the 11th.

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Start with yourself, then help others.

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Our thoughts today are rooted in Nehemiah chapter 12 verse 30.

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When the priests and Levites had purified themselves ceremonially, they purified the

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people, the gates, and the wall.

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Another big picture surrounding this verse.

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The final pieces of the resettlement of the Jews were put into place, and then joyfully

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recorded in the final chapters of the book of Nehemiah.

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The wall is dedicated, and the people resolve to become God's chosen people, in practice

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as well as in belief.

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Wholesome marriages are once again introduced as the norm, and the day of rest, or Sabbath,

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is honored throughout the land.

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The temple is rebuilt.

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The wall forms a firm fortification around the city of Jerusalem, and God's people are

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determined to succeed where their ancestors failed.

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Now our action step for today.

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Before going to minister to others, be sure that you are on the right track yourself.

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Don't wait until you're perfect, because you never will be, otherwise you will achieve

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nothing, but setting out blind to what God wants you to do in your own life will truly

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be a case of the blind leading the blind.

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In the days of Nehemiah, the first step taken by the leaders was to make sure that they

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themselves were purified.

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They had ceremonies to help achieve this, but these only worked when the leaders' hearts

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were right with God.

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The priests and Levites next worked on the people, and then sanctified the gates and

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the walls.

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The order is so important.

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Start with yourself before trying to help others.

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As Jesus put it in Matthew chapter 7 verse 5, first get rid of the log in your own eye,

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then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend's eye.

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We see faults in others so much clearer than we see them in ourselves, so spend some time

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with God each day making sure you have no log in your eye before setting off to serve

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Him in your daily life.

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Any logs need removing today?

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You don't need to be a lumberjack, you just need to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit.