Nehemiah 5:11-19 NKJV
"Restore now to them, even this day, their lands, their vineyards, their olive groves, and their houses, also a hundredth of the money and the grain, the new wine and the oil, that you have charged them.” So they said, “We will restore it, and will require nothing from them; we will do as you say.”
Then I called the priests, and required an oath from them that they would do according to this promise.Then I shook out the fold of my garment and said, “So may God shake out each man from his house, and from his property, who does not perform this promise. Even thus may he be shaken out and emptied.”
And all the assembly said, “Amen!” and praised the Lord. Then the people did according to this promise. "
Nehemiah knew about financial oppression. He watched his own jewish people hold debts over each other & eben sell their children as payment for these debts. He called a great assembly & ordered them to forgive any debt their brother had against each other & to return these demanded payments. The wall was rebuilt. Now it was time everyone receive a fresh start. And all obeyed, because of the fear of the Lord.
The Lord sees our national debt. And I'm sure He has a solution for a fresh start if our people & leaders feared Him enough to ask & obey. Who in your life needs a fresh start? Who do you need to forgive some debt, money or emotional, that you feel is rightfully yours? Think over your life, and remembers the mercy both God and man have shown you at times you did not deserve it. Repay that blessing forward to breath new life into a dark soul. Forgive. God may be requiring this of you today.
