Today we are starting a new series called Boundaries ...

...and I believe God is going to challenge us in so many ways. Nehemiah has just received news about those who had escaped their captivity and had made it back to Jerusalem but there was a problem. Nehemiah 1:3-4 (NKJV)  “And they said to me, "The survivors who are left from the captivity in the province are there in great distress and reproach. The wall of Jerusalem is also broken down, and its gates are burned with fire." So it was, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned for many days; I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven.” The wall (the boundary) had been broken down and the gates had been burned. They were so glad to be home but because their boundaries had been broken down, they had no protection or security. 

So what was Nehemiah’s first response to this dilemma? Nehemiah 1:5-7 (NKJV) And I said: "I pray, LORD God of heaven, O great and awesome God, You who keep Your covenant and mercy with those who love You and observe Your commandments, please let Your ear be attentive and Your eyes open, that You may hear the prayer of Your servant which I pray before You now, day and night, for the children of Israel Your servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel which we have sinned against You. Both my father's house and I have sinned. We have acted very corruptly against You, and have not kept the commandments, the statutes, nor the ordinances which You commanded Your servant Moses.” His response was to pray, to worship, and to repent of the sins of the people and himself. We should do the same. 

Let’s face it, so many people do not know where to draw the line or where to set boundaries in what they do and what they allow others to do to them. Even those close to them…especially those close to them. With God’s help in this series we will obviously look to God’s Word to see how we can obtain the boundaries and the security we need. After Nehemiah prayed, worshiped, and repented, he did something novel, he rebuilt the boundaries and restored the gates. We must do the same. As long as there are breaches in the wall, the enemy has access. Life Church, it is time to restore the boundaries in our personal lives, in our families, and in our churches. Let’s rise up and build!