Assess And Confess
by Dan Jones, M.D.
Nehemiah 1:1-7
The words of Nehemiah son of Hacaliah:
In the month of Kislev in the twentieth year, while I was in the citadel of Susa, Hanani, one of my brothers, came from Judah with some other men, and I questioned them about the Jewish remnant that survived the exile, and also about Jerusalem.
They said to me, "Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire."
When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven. Then I said:
"O LORD , God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and obey his commands, let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel. I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father's house, have committed against you. We have acted very wickedly toward you. We have not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws you gave your servant Moses.
Nehemiah was facing a very difficult situation. He was among the Jews in exile in Babylon and word had come that the situation was desperate back in Jerusalem. His Holy City was in ruins. Fortification of cities with walls and gates was essential in those days. And the walls and gates of Jerusalem were useless. This was personally important to Nehemiah and personally painful.
When faced with difficult circumstances, we have a number of options to consider for response. Nehemiah chose not to simply despair. He refused to accept his circumstances as they were. In this and the following devotional thoughts we examine the response of Nehemiah.
After first assessing the situation from the eye-witness reports, Nehemiah turned to God to confess his sins and the sins of his Jewish people. He confessed the sins of the present generation and the sins of past generations that had led to the current Babylonian exile for most of the Jewish people.
Confession is not easy for any of us. It may be particularly difficult for health professionals. In the eyes of our patients and colleagues, we often feel a need to appear without fault or error. No one, we think, wants a health care provider who admits he or she has faults or weaknesses. But in my own spiritual life, I find it necessary to have confession as a regular part of my spiritual discipline. God can only use me for His purpose when my sin is confessed and my weaknesses acknowledged.
Lord, forgive me for my sins and short-comings. I ask your grace in my life, a weak and sinful man.
Dan Jones, M.D., MACP, FAHA, a board-certified Internist, a former medical missionary to Korea, professor of medicine at the University of Mississippi School of Medicine, Dean of the School of Medicine, and Chancellor of the University of Mississippi until 2015. Dr. Dan Jones is a member of CMDA.
Dr. Jones welcomes any comments or questions about what he has written and can be reached at - djones@umc.edu
Rounds with the Master, Spiritual Pearls from the Great Physician Devotionals are released every Monday and Thursday.
Photo by Harris Ananiadis on Unsplash
