Nehemiah's Vow

Nehemiah 10:28-29 (NLT)

28 Then the rest of the people—the priests, Levites, gatekeepers, singers, Temple servants, and all who had separated themselves from the pagan people of the land in order to obey the Law of God, together with their wives, sons, daughters, and all who were old enough to understand— 29 joined their leaders and bound themselves with an oath. They swore a curse on themselves if they failed to obey the Law of God as issued by his servant Moses. They solemnly promised to carefully follow all the commands, regulations, and decrees of the Lord our Lord:

I think we have witnessed revival among the Jews who returned from exile. Did you notice their fresh zeal for living holy lives? They confessed their sins, worshiped, praised, and prayed, but before all that they separated themselves. Here are somethings for us to think about:
~The light of the world lives inside us. It is our calling to let our lights shine before men that they may see our good works and glorify our Father in heaven. Matt. 5:16
~We can't shine our light in the world if we are not out living for Jesus in the world. If we isolate ourselves, people won't see the light of Jesus. As a matter of fact, we can isolate ourselves so much that people get the idea that Jesus is not interested in a personal relationship with them.
~God dealt with the Jews as a nation. God deals with us as individuals. Our world, our nation, our friends, and our family may not separate themselves in order to obey the Law of God, but we are still called to put aside worldliness and pursue Christ-likeness.
Jesus prayed in John 17 for us not that we would be taken out of the world, but that we would be protected from the evil one. Let's be careful that we don't shelter ourselves to the point of shunning the lost, but rather, be separate that the light of Jesus in us may shine brightly. Remember: all have sinned. "All" includes "Us"...aren't you glad someone came into the darkness of your life and let you see the light of Jesus? If you are struggling with being separate, just do what the Jews in our passage did. Confess your sins, worship your Lord, and make a fresh commitment to honor Him in all you do.