Legend tells of a weary traveler who was making his way on a lonely road when he noticed a dry, shriveled leaf in the path. Picking it up, he was amazed at the perfume it exuded. "Oh, you poor withered leaf," he exclaimed. "Where did you get this exquisite perfume?" The leaf replied, "I have lain in the company of a rose."
Leading the congregation in this Old Testament prayer, the Levites express a similar thought (Nehemiah 9:5-38). If there is any beauty in Israel's history, it is because that nation had been in the presence of God. In this long and beautiful prayer, the religious leaders recall how God had been with them throughout the years in their good and bad hours. Their response to this companionship was a sacred pact of devotion to the Lord forever.
Today, let us review what God has done for us personally. We, too, are like the dry, withered leaf. If there is any beauty in our lives, it is because we have been in the company of the Rose of Sharon. In response, we pledge ourselves to His Kingdom, determined to stretch ourselves to reach the world for the Lord we love. With the songwriter we pray, "Let the beauty of Jesus be seen in me."
““Now because of all this We are making an agreement in writing; And on the sealed document are the names of our leaders, our Levites and our priests.””
Nehemiah 9:38 NASB
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