September 1: Nehemiah 4:1-5
Key Verse: Nehemiah 4:4
Hear us, our God, for we are despised. Turn their insults back on their own heads. Give them over as plunder in a land of captivity.
Devotion:
What happens when you get mocked or ridiculed? How do you feel? Who do you turn to? All normal questions and the response of Nehemiah is normal too - “God, don’t let them get away with this!”
It’s OK to get angry when people berate you. It’s OK to want something done about those people – but how we go about it must be in line with what God wants in our lives and in their lives! We can’t really ask God to send fire and brimstone down on them if there is a chance they can get to know God. We can’t ask God to get rid of them just because they are making our lives difficult. But we can let God know our feelings! We can tell God we feel like they should pay for what they are doing to us...
Our relationship with God must be honest and up front. If we are trying to continually hide things from God, we are going to get caught up in those feelings more than we can deal with and our hearts will turn against them in a way which God would not approve of.
We can look at what was happening and consider Nehemiah quite within his rights to want those men to be punished for what they were doing; but consider this: They were speaking up against what God had asked Nehemiah to do and so their judgment must be dealt with by God and not by Nehemiah. So, whilst it was OK for him to get angry, he should defer his anger to God and allow God to deal with it in due course.
When God asks you to do something, we should obey Him no matter what is happening and try to make sure we keep level-headed during our work – even when the mockers and haters come out of the wood and cause us concern. But make sure you are honest with your feelings with God!
Points to Ponder:
Do you just put up with stuff because it’s the Christian thing to do?
Will you allow God to know your true feelings?
August 31: Nehemiah 3:1-5
Key Verse: Nehemiah 3:5
The next section was repaired by the men of Tekoa, but their nobles would not put their shoulders to the work under their supervisors.
Devotion:
How many times have you tried to do something by yourself and failed – just because you did not have the time, resources or strength to fulfil your task in hand... If we are willing to work as a team, we will get more done than if we try go it alone. If we do all work together at the same time, we get more done in a shorter period... This is just common sense!
But, like all things, there are going to be groups, people or situations where there is going to be a shortfall or where some will simply not do the work. Here we have the nobles who would not get to work alongside the common folk and certainly not under the charge of a commoner!
But if we look at how Jesus set about working whilst He was here on earth, we see a very different picture. He is King of Kings, Lord of Lords, and yet He was willing to be servant to all, noble and common alike, saint and sinner side by side. This is the example we need to remember and need to carry on for Christ because this is His legacy!
One thing which scares me very much is how some people think they are above this virus and do not take the proper precautions. Whilst the likelihood of us all getting the virus is slim, being stupid about it and playing with fire will get you burned! This is also why Jesus wants us to work together as a team, from the humblest to the most knighted and noble of people; we all need to work together so we can avoid a major catastrophe. The time for teamwork is now!
Points to Ponder:
Do you like going it alone or working in a team?
Will you put aside your differences and work alongside Christ as a team?
August 30: Nehemiah 2:17-20
Key Verse: Nehemiah 2:19
But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official and Geshem the Arab heard about it, they mocked and ridiculed us. ‘What is this you are doing?’ they asked. ‘Are you rebelling against the king?’
Devotion:
When Nehemiah went to see the state of the city, he did not make a big fuss about things but instead rode out of the city at night-time as if he was going somewhere else. After looking at the state of the walls, he returned to speak to the officials about what he saw. Sometimes it does take a harsh word to be spoken in truth which will make us think hard about what we are doing or the state we are in...
The once proud city lay in ruins and the walls and gates were no longer doing their jobs! Nehemiah wanted people to take a good look at where they were at in their lives in Jerusalem but also to know God was still there for them and on their side. He told them of the grace of God which had already allowed him to come to them and even to bring the supplies required to rebuild things.
As with all logistics, you can imagine the supplies arriving sometime after he had done this all, after all there was not a lot of ‘airmail cargo’ being delivered back then! Nehemiah knew God was behind him being allowed to return and nothing was going to get in the way; not even the people who stood up and mocked him! You could imagine it; no supplies had arrived yet and they would have known he was a slave just a short while ago!
His answer was one of full trust and faith in God. Just like when David stood up in front of Goliath, Nehemiah was now standing up in front of the mockers and scorners. That day was going to be the day things were to change, because God was in control again! When we allow God to be in control and put our faith and trust in Him, things work!
Points to Ponder:
Are you facing big decisions in your life?
Are you allowing God to guide you?
August 29: Nehemiah 2:4-8
Key Verse: Nehemiah 2:4
The king said to me, ‘What is it you want?’ Then I prayed to the God of heaven,
Devotion:
What is the first thing you do when you are going to make a big decision in your life? Do you rummage through the ‘Which’ magazines to find articles supporting your next move? Do you jump onto the Internet and search for as much information as you can? Do you ask your friends and family for advice and sift through it all to define the best plan?
I think doing all of the above is good and wholesome to do before making final choices for any big things you may want to purchase, but what about the changes in your lifestyle? Well the same could be said for almost any choice, but one key thing is missing from the above. God!
When I was younger, I used to jump at new opportunities and strive to do things which would work for my advancement in my career; but as I get older and wiser I tend to stop and bring God into the choice before I make my moves. If it is the right move in your life, God must be at the centre of it all before you finalise any decisions.
Nehemiah asked God to be with him in what he was doing and trusted God would make things happen which not just allowed the Jewish people to come back together but thrive once again. Nehemiah’s choices may well seem bold but I’m sure it was his belief God was with him and would enable it all to go ahead. What Nehemiah did was ask the one who could supply the unreachable at that time and God made it possible!
We need to include God in every step in our lives and not just the difficult times or the hard times; the more we include God the more we can see the power of God and the more we can give Him the glory.
Points to Ponder:
Who is you go-to when you need to make a decision?
How often do you bring God into your everyday decisions?