Rock Bottom

And the Israelites separated themselves from all foreigners and stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers. And they stood up in their place and read from the Book of the Law of the Lord their God for a quarter of the day; for another quarter of it, they made confession and worshiped the Lord their God. ~ Nehemiah 9:2-3

     The people broke their covenant with God and their day of judgment was upon them. Everything God gave them in the Promised Land was taken away and they returned to their former state of slavery. Nevertheless, God never breaks a promise, so while they were cast off for a season, it was not permanent. Today’s scripture indicates that the painful lesson was learned. 

     The Babylonian captivity had a very significant impact on the nation of Israel when it returned to the land—it would never again be corrupted by the idolatry and false gods of the surrounding nations. A revival among Jews took place after the return of the Jews to Israel and the rebuilding of the temple. We see those accounts in Ezra and Nehemiah as the nation would once again return to the God who had delivered them from their enemies.

     Sometimes, God allows suffering that leads to a transformative paradigm shift. It can happen in nations and individuals. Think of the grandparent or father & mother who grieve a wayward child who had fallen under bad influences. A good counselor will advise, “She will have to hit rock bottom before she’s ready to change.” From the Eternal’s perspective, rock bottom could be death. Who wants to hear that!? 

     If brokenness leads to repentance, there is purpose in the suffering. Sometimes, the brokeness and repentance are meant for someone other than the subject of prayer. A family’s brokenness because of one of its members can lead to spiritual restoration and new paradigms for all. 

     Using the family analogy can be insightful in another way. Much can be said about the company one keeps. A troubled family can often trace its issues back to bad influences. Sooner or later, it becomes apparent that some friendships and associations must be dropped for change to occur. Israel learned their lesson the hard way but eventually separated themselves from unholy relationships. 

     These days, unhealthy interactions are not limited to people. Some persons need to cut off the Internet or parts of it, such as social media, streaming video, and blogs. Some need to stop patronizing certain venues. Perhaps, even a religious affiliation that is not doctrinally sound, or is governed by humanism must be left behind. If any of these things has a corrupting effect, there must be repentance and commitment to wholesome relationships. It may not be explicitly written in the Bible, but the old saying is scripturally sound, “If you keep doing what you’re doing, you’ll keep getting what you’re getting.” What if separating from bad influences causes temporary pain? Is it not preferable to eternal sorrow?