Today's Inspiration: Ezekiel 18:9, “He follows my decrees and faithfully keeps the Law that man is righteous, he will surely lives," declares the Lord. The Lord has always stressed on obedience and fulfillment of His laws as conditions for receiving blessings and reward and considered us righteous for the just shall live by faith. God desires total obedience. Do not overlook the little foxes which are our pet sins that may cause our later generations to suffer and carry on the generational iniquity.
We have seen the three unconquered cities - Gaza to be a place of defeat caused by lust of the flesh, Gath a place of defiance by Goliath, and Ashdod a place of defilement. Mankind have neglected much the lust of the flesh that have caused them shame and defilement of the spirit that hinders God's plan for them and to set them apart to be holy. In addition, they have broken the marriage covenant with their spouse and with God through divorce and adultery. We saw in Nehemiah 4:7-8 that Tobiah and Sanballat have teamed up with men of Ashdod etc against the rebuilding of Jerusalem walls by Nehemiah.
Also, in Nehemiah 13:23-24 the Jews had married wives of Ashdod and their children could not speak the Jewish language but half Ashdod. Imagine the infiltration of defiled Ashdod into the Holy city of Jerusalem. Some Jews had married pagan wives who brought their culture and their language with them. Unholy ungodly Ashdod has found its way to the Holy city of Jerusalem thereby raising a generation of young people who can't speak the Jewish language. V24. Joshua's incomplete obedience had caused Gaza to produce a generation of wealthy landlord of the Philistines. Gaza produced a generation of giants and Ashdod secret defilement reaching like Cancer into all areas of holy living.
Similarly, the lust of our flesh and our fleshy nature are the result of incomplete obedience to His laws and statutes causing us to tackle a lot of problems today which we blame it on the world and Satan. Even these have crept to the church today. It's time we get on our knees and claim the promise and carry out our mission of sanctification and experience the power of our personality- emotions, mind and will that we be spared the hurt and bitter sorrow of incomplete obedience. Now that you bore the priesthood as a believer, you need to be purified from the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the lust of pride all of which are fleshy and unholy. Otherwise we will not be able to perform the priestly function. This is what Nehemiah did to the Levites and the priests in v30. God be praised.
Prayer: Lord help me to walk in the spirit and walk in the light and let me not tread on the landmine of the lust of the flesh so that I be set apart for your calling to be holy and to the Great commission of healing, preaching the Kingdom and making disciples which is the hallmark of Your ministry. In Jesus’ name, Amen.