Then as I looked over the situation, I called together the nobles and the rest of the people and said to them, “Don’t be afraid of the enemy! Remember the Lord, who is great and glorious, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes!” Nehemiah 4:14 How involved are […]
Read MoreTag Archives: Nehemiah
Advancing on Your Knees
We worked early and late, from sunrise to sunset. And half the men were always on guard. Nehemiah 4:21 “So we built the wall and the whole wall was joined together to half its height, for the people had a mind to work” (Nehemiah 4:6 NASB). Critics demoralise. Leaders encourage. When the critics spoke, the […]
Read MoreThe Leader and Criticism
They replied at once, “Yes, let’s rebuild the wall!” So they began the good work. But when Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem the Arab heard of our plan, they scoffed contemptuously. “What are you doing? Are you rebelling against the king?” they asked. Nehemiah 2:18–19 Nehemiah knew that he and the people of Jerusalem were doing […]
Read MoreWhat You Are When Nobody’s Looking
After dark I went out through the Valley Gate, past the Jackal’s Well, and over to the Dung Gate to inspect the broken walls and burned gates. Nehemiah 2:13 It is not in the rush and hurry of activity that a person gains the respect of those around him; it is what he does when […]
Read MoreFour Marks of a Spiritual Leader
“O LORD, God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps his covenant of unfailing love with those who love him and obey his commands, listen to my prayer! Look down and see me praying night and day for your people Israel.” Nehemiah 1:5–6 Nehemiah, touched by the need of his people, “sat down […]
Read MoreLeaders Are Made, Not Born
“Things are not going well for those who returned to the province of Judah. They are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem has been torn down, and the gates have been destroyed by fire.” When I heard this, I sat down and wept. In fact, for days I mourned, fasted, and prayed […]
Read MoreRules for Handling Scripture
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 How about five simple rules for accurately handling Scripture? Each includes a different word—what, who, why, where, and when. WHAT. Never forget what you are handling. And […]
Read MoreFamine
The word hangs like an awful omen in our heads. Mentally, we picture a brutal, grotesque image. Cows’ hips protrude. Babies’ eyes are hollow. Bloated stomachs growl angrily. Skin stretches across faces tight as a trampoline. The outline of the skull slowly emerges. Joints swell. Grim, despairing stares replace smiles. Hope is gone . . . life is reduced to a harsh existence as famine takes its toll.
Read MoreThe Importance of Prayer
O Lord, I beseech You, may Your ear be attentive to the prayer of Your servant and the prayer of Your servants who delight to revere Your name, and make Your servant successful today and grant him compassion before this man.” (Nehemiah 1:11) Father in heaven, we call upon You today. We know that You are the Giver of all good things . . . and that You never change like shifting shadows.
Read MoreFamine
For us who are so well fed, the idea of famine is foreign—almost a fantasy. It’s something that plagues India or China, never America! Fear of famine doesn’t square with our “amber waves of grain,” our “fruited plains,” certainly not our streets lined with McDonalds, thirty-one flavors, and innumerable shops bulging with every conceivable type of food.
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