Theme For David Jeremiah Devotional 22nd February – “But I Did Not”
But I did not do so, because of the fear of God.
Nehemiah 5:15
Recommended Reading: Proverbs 10:9-17
When Nehemiah became governor of the land of Judah, he and his family refused the common practice of having their meals provided from government funds. While there may have been nothing wrong with taxpayer-funded food for the nation’s leader, former governors had abused the practice. Their excessive lifestyles had burdened the people, and Nehemiah wanted to avoid even the appearance of wrongdoing. So he paid his own way because he feared God and wanted to protect his integrity for God’s sake.
Are there areas of your life in which you should draw some lines, erect some barriers, build some fences, and establish some standards? Any habits you should change? Our society has no established moral code, and the standards keep changing. We must not let the world keep rubbing out the lines we draw for ourselves. The Bible calls us to personal holiness, and our integrity comes from the standards we adopt.
“Don’t let the world around you squeeze you into its own mould, but let God re-mould your minds from within” (Romans 12:2, PHILLIPS).
Everyone with integrity has drawn some lines and said, “Everyone else did these things, but I did not do so.”
David Jeremiah