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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?
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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?
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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?
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August 28: Nehemiah 2:1-3
Key Verse: Nehemiah 2:2
so the king asked me, ‘Why does your face look so sad when you are not ill? This can be nothing but sadness of heart.’ I was very much afraid
Devotion:
It’s OK to be sad! It’s OK to not feel like the soul of the party! It’s OK to be grumpy! Too many people have told me to always put on a brave face or to not be sad when I am; that is not good! We need to be aware of how the people around us are feeling and the only way of telling may well be if they look sad or upset. It’s our task to reach out to them and comfort them if they want comforting!
Nehemiah was very afraid of what could happen because he was a servant to the king. Kings were not known for caring for their slaves! But God made the king stop and look at what was happening; he then asked what was wrong and that gave Nehemiah the chance to open up and say what was on his heart.
If people around us do care, they will ask why and they will listen to why. They should then try to do something about the why! The king was well within his rights to ignore what was happening to the Jews back in Jerusalem because some of them were his slaves and servants. But God changed his heart to listen to what ailed Nehemiah and then to do something about it!
If we do not open up about what is bothering us, others will not be able to help out! We need to put away this want to always look good and to always try and make others feel good all the time. Sometimes we just have to be sad so others can care for us. Sometimes we do have to open up and allow other people in. Yes, it may hurt in the short term, but in the long run we will get the help we need!
Points to Ponder:
Do you try to keep your feeling to yourself all the time?
Have you tried opening up when there is another Christian around?
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August 27: Nehemiah 1:5-11
Key Verse: Nehemiah 1:7
We have acted very wickedly towards you. We have not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws you gave your servant Moses.
Devotion:
How do you feel when you have to admit you have done something wrong, or you are simply wrong? It's not a nice feeling and sometimes we are filled with fear in case we are punished because of what we have done wrong. Many of those times we have admitted to being wrong, we have been forgiven by the other person and we look back and wonder why we were so afraid to start with...
This is the sticking point for many people who do not come back to God and who do not want to admit they have done anything wrong against God – they are too scared to say anything just in case God condemns them in some way... Well, the only one condemning us is ourselves! God has promised us He will forgive us and set us free from our worries!
God promised the Israelites they would have a place they could always call their own and He delivered on that promise. But here we have Nehemiah who is asking on behalf of all the people because too many are too scared to admit the problems! But Nehemiah remembered the promise and called on God to live up to His promise.
We can do the same. We can call on God to deliver our forgiveness because that is what He promised! We don’t have to be afraid because God has already promised! We just must take the first step and ask for the forgiveness – from then on it is all good! No matter what we have done, the promise still stands!
Points to Ponder:
Are you scared to take the first step?
Will you call on God to uphold His promise?
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August 26: Nehemiah 1:1-4
Key Verse: Nehemiah 1:4
When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven.
Devotion:
I must admit to taking the idea of the next few devotions from talks the Rt Rev Jill Duff held on the United Breaks Out sessions this year for New Wine. This is something which has been playing on my heart for a while and has roots back to over a decade ago when Pastor Frank Thompson talked about Nehemiah’s mission.
The background is a country which has been devastated by the Babylonians and others and now is in a state of disorder and despair. Certain ruling parties wanted to be in control but were clearly not doing a particularly good job of things. Nehemiah was one of the cupbearers to king Artaxerxes I, a position where he would potentially be in a life-or-death situation with every meal! But God was able to do amazing things through him in his current predicament.
Nehemiah was distressed by what he heard of the people back home and the king noticed. Normally you would think the king would demand Nehemiah be taken away because of his attitude, but God changed the king's heart and allowed him to be moved by what Nehemiah told him. This is the king who had taken Jews as slaves and yet God softened his heart to want to do something for the Jews!
When we say God can do anything, we don’t always think of situations like this where God is using the enemy to bring about a change for the good! But when we show God we really do care and we really want change; He is going to make it happen one way or another! It is words like these which inspire me to move forward and do something in a community which is going to make a difference! One which would normally fill me with fear, but one I know God is behind.
Points to Ponder:
How often do you impose restrictions on what God will do?
Will you stop and listen to find out what God wants you to do?
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August 25: Deuteronomy 18:15-22
Key Verse: Deuteronomy 18:19
I myself will call to account anyone who does not listen to my words that the prophet speaks in my name.
Devotion:
No matter how much God does in your life, you may well still face temptations which you give in to or do things you should not be doing. “We are human” is the excuse we all turn to in these cases… We may be human, but we still do have a choice despite the peer pressure and despite all the temptations. We will be held accountable for the choices we make.
We can look throughout the bible to see how much God has supported us and how He has bent over backward to try and get us to obey Him – yet we still go astray like sheep walking off into the wilderness instead of staying with the shepherd. We do this because we make choices and we follow our own choices rather than the people God has put into our lives to guide us.
We may be scared by a God who is able to do anything and who has told us the wages of sin is death… but that same God has listened to our infirmities and has placed people into our lives to allow us to gracefully come back to Him by listening to those people. God has continued to do this throughout time and will continue to do this because of His great love for us! It is not God giving in to our wishes, but a God who is using everything and everyone to try and reach out to us and guide us back to His side!
He has given us His Word in the bible. He has told us He will put people into our lives to teach us because we are scared to listen to Him directly. He has told us we need to discern who is telling the truth by their actions in His Word. We have everything we need to make the right choice in our lives – but we do still have to make that choice for ourselves. Nobody else can make the choice for us!
Points to Ponder:
Do you listen to God’s servants?
Are you obeying God’s wishes in your life?
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August 24: 1 John 4:16-18
Key Verse: 1 John 4:18
There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
Devotion:
This letter really does drill home the words God is love! But words are just words unless people listen to them and act upon them too. We could all speak the right words and go off and do our own things instead, making the words of little or no effect; meaningless!
As Christians we do need to fully rely on God’s love in our lives because it is central to being a Christian and central to our lives in general. If we do not love then we are meaningless vessels who are of no real use in any community. The more we realise God is love, the more we draw closer to Him when we do exercise love in our own lives. Focusing on what the love is for and not just that there must be love will help us to focus on God’s love in our communities too!
We do need to remember there is no fear in love! Notice I say there is no fear, not there should not be fear… If we bring fear into the equation then we are making an excuse where we will not have to love unconditionally. This unconditional love is the love God has for us and the love we need to spread in our families and in our communities. Good and wholesome love will drive out fear because the definition of love does not contain fear.
The basic concept of fear has to do with punishment in some form or another. Love does not include punishment… punishment is sometimes dealt out in the name of love because we would rather see someone punished now to stop them from offending than to face greater punishment after they are found out. Love did not cause the offence in the first place, love had to deal with the real-world problem after it has happened!
Points to Ponder:
How often do you bring fear into a relationship?
Are you ready to put it all on the line so love can make the relationship better?
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August 23: Romans 12:1-2
Key Verse: Romans 12:1
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God – this is your true and proper worship.
Devotion:
Nicodemus was willing to try ans find out how he could be saved from this debt he owed because of his sinfulness. He came to ask Jesus how he could do this and the answer was a whole lot simpler than Nicodemus probably thought. To simply present himself to God because of what Jesus would do on the cross for us all...
Once you have made the decision to allow Jesus fully into your life, you need to think about how you live your life! If you are going to tell God you are willing to be a Christian, then you should also be willing to start acting like one – to change your life away from the sinful things which were a part of your life and to aim to be more righteous – not so you can be assured a place in Heaven, but to show God you are serious about being a Christian!
If you went around telling people you were a Christian and acted nothing like a Christian, a lot of people would question whether you were a Christian! God would love us to be good examples because that would encourage others to be more like that too! This is why the author here reminds the people to present themselves as a living sacrifice… not that there needs to be a physical sacrifice…
If you are willing to give something up, like you sinful life, then you are actually making a sacrifice because you are stopping that part of your life you once thought to be normal and aim to be more like Jesus asks us to be. This is our living sacrifice which we should aim to live every day as a Christian. We don’t have to do things the way we used to or the way anyone else says we should be – we should be trying to live according to how God wants us to live...
Points to Ponder:
Do you give in to the old ways you used to live?
Or are you making a sacrifice and living a more righteous life?
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August 22: John 3:1-3
Key Verse: John 3:2
He came to Jesus at night and said, ‘Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.’
Devotion:
Nicodemus, a man who had a position in the Jewish ruling council, wanted to know how to be saved. He had heard the gospel message and was convinced this was the way to go forward in his life. No longer was he blinkered by the man-made extensions to God’s Commandments, he was a man on a mission...
But he knew exactly what the Jewish ruling council could do to him if he opposed their strict rules. He was scared of what they may do to him if he was to admit he followed Jesus. So, he came to see Jesus at night when there would be much less chance of any of the rulers or their spies seeing him come to see Jesus.
How was he convinced? By what he had heard of and possibly seen happen to others. Jesus knew if He healed the right people, the right people would get to know about this and the Holy Spirit would be able to convince those people God was real and Jesus had come directly from God! That is such a huge statement! He was admitting Jesus came from God; he was admitting Jesus was the Messiah – something the Jewish ruling council did not want to admit to…
This is our reminder we don’t have to stand up in front of a church congregation to admit we want Jesus in our own lives. We can do it by being alone, even stuck in a cupboard or wherever! Jesus wants us to freely admit He is the Son of God and He has come to set us free, to be saved from our sin debt, to be free to worship Him whether it be in a church or alone at home or in hiding because another ruling council does not want you to know the truth!
Points to Ponder:
Do you know Jesus as you Lord and Saviour?
If not, will you ask Him to be your Lord and Saviour wherever you are?