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September 5: Nehemiah 5:1-8
Key Verse: Nehemiah 5:3
Others were saying, ‘We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards and our homes to get grain during the famine.’
Devotion:
Have you ever noticed when things start getting back to normal, you find more things to complain about? I’m not judging here to say the complaints were or were not justified, because they were legitimate complaints! But as things change in our lives, so does the focus of the things we seem to care most about. When things are bad we accept a lot of what comes into our lives as unavoidable to acceptable, but as things do improve, the acceptability line moves too!
Nehemiah could see what was happening and it was a class or social standing thing. The people who had thing were protecting what they had and even exploiting the people who did not have; because they were not able to do much about it! Jesus wants us to step back from our self-imposed social standings and step forward to help the people who are closest to us... not closest as in friends or relatives, but our neighbours!
The more we step away from social positions and standings the more we are able to see the real need of the people around us instead of our greed taking over and imposing greater restrictions on those same people. We do need to think more about our neighbours and more about how we can make our communities better places to live, not just for us but for everyone!
Nehemiah did not mince his words and he aimed what he said directly at the people who were responsible for the suffering of their neighbours. Unfortunately, social standing breeds social positions and the more people look at their social positions, the more they work against others who are not in the same social positions. It is a sad fact of life, but one which desperately needs to change!
Points to Ponder:
Do you stick to your social clicks?
Will you step back and reach out to someone from a different social position to you?
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September 4: Nehemiah 4:21-23
Key Verse: Nehemiah 4:23
Neither I nor my brothers nor my men nor the guards with me took off our clothes; each had his weapon, even when he went for water.
Devotion:
How ready are you to fight for something you believe in. We see and hear about many people on the media who are standing up and fighting for things they believe in. People all around the world are rebelling against authorities who have not done what they said they would do or have not stood up for justice. People demand justice, especially when so much of the world is in turmoil – we may think governments are too busy fighting one thing to focus on what the public are demanding... but whom do they stand up for? Is it not the public?
I’m not suggesting we all start a rebellion or anything like that yet, but what I would like to focus on is the strength we gain from standing up together and doing what we believe is right or righteous. God has always wanted us to stand up for righteousness and indeed to stand up for those who struggle to stand up for themselves.
In these verses we see and insight into how the people of Jerusalem were strengthened and spurned on to finish the rebuilding of the wall because they were all working together. They knew an enemy was waiting at the gate (metaphorically and possibly physically speaking) and they knew they had to stand up to the enemy. They had already lived through oppression and nobody felt like they could stand up against these people any more than anyone else – but together they could!
When we want to do something for and with God, we need to look around and find the people who are willing to stand up with us and fight for justice, fight for God and know He is going to back us up when we listen to His instruction. Nehemiah acted on God’s instructions and not his own wants and desires – his heart was driven by God!
Points to Ponder:
DO you walk away from confrontation just to keep the peace?
Are you willing to stand up and do what God asks?
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September 3: Nehemiah 4:10-18
Key Verse: Nehemiah 4:15
When our enemies heard that we were aware of their plot and that God had frustrated it, we all returned to the wall, each to our work.
Devotion:
One of the biggest things I have learned over the years is that a team is so much better than trying to do stuff alone; no matter what you are doing in life! It was drummed into us when playing sports at school, and indeed is how we managed to win many of our games – by working as an integrated team we were able to overcome shortcomings in other players as they tried to highlight their own skills rather than working as a team themselves.
This is what God was teaching Nehemiah as they worked to complete the rebuilding of the walls, not just as a team of people but as a team of the people with God too! Remembering God is on your team and you need to work together is paramount in every walk in life! When others see we are working as a team, they may well back off because they know they are losing the battle, either that or they get so worked up they are not winning they make mistakes and fluster themselves.
I love working with God because it gives me a lot of confidence things are going to work out for the better. I love working as a team because sharing the tasks does make it a lot easier and quicker to reach the goal set before us.
But what we must not do is lose focus on the fact we are with God and He should be the captain – not you! Nehemiah had no illusion God was in control, but sometimes it is the sight of a team of people at work which will encourage other people. We do like to see someone else leading or succeeding before we come forward to do the same. Sometimes we must be the pioneers so other missionaries can follow and be encouraged to carry on the work!
Points to Ponder:
Do you feel like you are out on a limb?
Do you know God is by your side?
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September 2: Nehemiah 4:6-9
Key Verse: Nehemiah 4:9
But we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat.
Devotion:
One thing you can always count on is you will face opposition when you do something good with or for God! Well, you probably will get opposition when you do anything good... But look at the bigger picture and see how many more people are supporting you, often silently, because you are doing something good. It is the few who have the loudest voices which you hear above everybody else though!
God will continue to enable you and support you when you are doing something for Him, but people around you may well take offense because they are no longer the popular ones or are no longer the ones who appear to be in charge. When you step forward and God enables you, you are taking on a position of authority which will get you noticed.
When Jesus came to teach us, it was not with words of encouragement to say you would not face opposition but with words of warning saying you would face opposition. This, as you can pick up from the bible, has been a problem we have faced right from the beginning of time – the more we work with and for God, the more the haters take notice and the more they are encouraged to make a noise about it!
I love the way Nehemiah acted. First, he prayed to God! This must always be our first reaction when we face opposition. Then, he listened to God. This may not be written down, but from past performance, this is what Nehemiah would do. He listened to God and then acted accordingly. So, lastly, he posted guards at places around the wall, not to protect against an army, but to dissuade the haters from starting in the first place. If we listen early, God will guide us quickly!
Points to Ponder:
Would you fight a fire by yourself?
Will you listen to the guidance of One who knows?
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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?
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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?