Many sacrifices were offered on that joyous day, for God had given the people cause for great joy. The women and children also participated in the celebration, and the joy of the people of Jerusalem could be heard far away. Nehemiah 12:43 Nehemiah ordered everyone on the wall and up they came by the dozens. […]
Read MoreTag Archives: Nehemiah
Dare to Be Distinct
They solemnly promised to carefully follow all the commands, regulations, and decrees of the LORD our Lord . . . . “We promise together not to neglect the Temple of our God.” Nehemiah 10:29, 39 There are some very simple—but life-changing—principles that I glean from the verses in Nehemiah 10. The first is that serious […]
Read MoreNothing More Vital Than Prayer
“You alone are the LORD. You made the skies and the heavens and all the stars. You made the earth and the seas and everything in them. You preserve them all, and the angels of heaven worship you.” Nehemiah 9:6 Of all the disciplines a leader must maintain, nothing—let me repeat, nothing—is more vital to […]
Read MoreObedience and Genuine Joy
Joyful are people of integrity, who follow the instructions of the LORD. Psalm 119:1 When we get beneath surface facts and start to traffic in the realm of in-depth truth, two things usually happen: we walk in greater obedience, and we discover genuine happiness. The leaders in Nehemiah’s day experienced both. They found written in […]
Read MoreThe Pursuit of Insight
Fear of the LORD is the foundation of wisdom. Knowledge of the Holy One results in good judgment. Proverbs 9:10 Then on the second day the heads of fathers’ households of all the people, the priests, and the Levites were gathered to Ezra the scribe so that they might gain insight into the words of […]
Read MoreThe Joy of the Lord
“Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the LORD is your strength!” Nehemiah 8:10 After an oral reading from the book of the Law, those gifted in its truths exposited the text to make the meaning clear. But why did they need to translate the Scripture? These people were Jews by birth, but […]
Read MoreRevival at the Water Gate
They read from the Book of the Law of God and clearly explained the meaning of what was being read, helping the people understand each passage. Nehemiah 8:8 Tucked away in the old book of Nehemiah is the first recorded revival. And of all places, the revival occurred at the Water Gate. According to Nehemiah […]
Read MoreEven as the Enemy Blasts, God Builds
They were just trying to intimidate us, imagining that they could discourage us and stop the work. So I continued the work with even greater determination. Nehemiah 6:9 Sanballat’s weapon of choice was rumour, which has at least two distinctive characteristics. First, a source is never declared. Note the vague reference, “It is reported among […]
Read MoreDoing a Great Work
“I am engaged in a great work, so I can’t come. Why should I stop working to come and meet with you?” Nehemiah 6:3 If you are a leader, you spend a lot of your time either on the top or on the bottom. You’re either hero or villain; respected or reviled. Rarely anything between […]
Read MoreCounting the Cost
“But don’t begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first calculating the cost to see if there is enough money to finish it? Otherwise, you might complete only the foundation before running out of money, and then everyone would laugh at you.” Luke 14:28–29 Making sense with […]
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