Today's encouragement comes from Nehemiah 8:5, where we read these words:
"And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was standing above all the people; and when he opened it, all the people stood up."Respect for the written inscripturated Word of God, especially within the con-text of the church’s Sabbath Worship of God, is very important. Hence, peo-ple are to stand for the reading of Scripture; and the pulpits are above the congregations.
Hearts that are in submission to God are not offended at showing such regard and reverence. Nevertheless, we need to be sure that we are sincere in our actions (especially in the church’s Sunday Worship Services). God knows every heart; and He knows who “stands” out of humility and love for Him (through Christ), and who “stands” simply out of convention.
[Puritan quote of the day: "Now, as a man is broken off from sin by seeing and feeling it, and groaning under the power of it, so is a man broken from himself.” —Thomas Shepard, in, "The Sincere Convert"]
