Stuck

Reading of the Day 5/18/25: Ezra 9-10, Nehemiah 1

Ezra 9:8: And now for a little space grace hath been shewed from the LORD our God, to leave us a remnant to escape, and to give us a nail in his holy place, that our God may lighten our eyes, and give us a little reviving in our bondage.

Most of the time we think of bondage as a position we are in against our will, out of our control...but most of today's bondage is the exact opposite. We voluntarily position ourselves to get stuck in some sort of rut of distraction or routine that depletes us of energy instead of restoring it. It is a comfort that is more like a net we trap ourselves in instead of a safety net. In looking at the part of the verse that states, "to give us a nail in his holy place..." I was so thankful first that Jesus took the nails we deserved for our sinful bondage. But as I thought more about it, it truly spoke to me about my own bondage of escape and distraction today, not just the sin of the past. I can so easily get lost in the day, not realizing that I did not connect with God in-depth (hence, the seasons where I post less). Jesus is still there to pull us out of the mess we are in today, just like yesterday! And this made me so sorrowful, yet so grateful for the beginning of the verse which says, "...for a little space grace hath been showed..." He is still there to "...give us a little reviving in our bondage." ! He brings light & life back! Instead of always scrolling or busying ourselves, depleting our energy & motivation, He "lightens our eyes" and helps us to stay on course with His life-giving plan. Thank you Jesus! I need this every day! The word from our Pastor today also spoke on this & got right to the heart of it-if we don't get acquainted with Him through His Word that He has already written and spoken, how can we hear His voice clearly today? If you are feeling stuck, unmotivated, and ready to snap out of it (like me!), then first remember what a nail does. It binds. It literally stuck Jesus to a piece of the earth He created! It is a symbol of how deeply He longs to connect with us, and how only He can pull us out of a place we are deeply stuck in! He truly did give us a nail in His holy place...so that when we are feeling stuck in our volintary scrolling bondage, we remember how He got stuck voluntarily for us. And now, He is alive and free, and He frees us too! He wants us to be stuck on Him! Stuck in His Word! Stuck on His promises! Stuck in His holy presence, at home and at church! Reminding ourselves that His nails won't let us go, even today! Let's get so stuck on Jesus, that temptation to be complacent won't ever suck us in again!