Month: December 2020

Nehemiah 8:9 Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and teacher of the Law, and the Levites who were instructing the people said to them all, “This day is holy to the LORD your God. Do not mourn or weep.” … 

People often view events only from their own perspective—how an event touches or effects the person directly. The Israelites were hearing and understanding, probably for the first time, God’s word. The veil was torn from their eyes, and they were seeing, truly understanding for the first time, the depth of their sin. The horrifying reality of their sin caused them much anguish.

Nehemiah 8:10 Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our LORD. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”

But Nehemiah tells them, essentially, that they are focusing on the wrong thing. They are focusing on and distressed about their sin instead of focusing on and being joyous about their God. Nehemiah stresses that this is a holy day and not to grieve—they finally understand their sin and their God—this is a cause for celebration. God’s joy at their understanding is their strength as they bear the burden of the knowledge of their sin. God is the focus, the reason for celebration, instead of mourning the failures of man.

Nehemiah 8:11 The Levites calmed all the people, saying, “Be still, for this is a holy day. Do not grieve.”

Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for the reminder that You are the focus, always—Your goodness, Your mercy, Your grace. Help us to keep our eyes and hearts on You always. Help us not to grieve our shortcomings, but to focus on Your joy in our return to You. Draw us closer. Amen.

Nehemiah 8:12 Then all the people went away to eat and drink, to send portions of food and to celebrate with great joy, because they now understood the words that had been made known to them.

Have a blessed day.

Nehemiah 7:1 After the wall had been rebuilt and I had set the doors in place, the gatekeepers, the musicians and the Levites were appointed.

There are some chapters that I don’t think I would grasp at all without commentary. This is one. The commentary on this chapter brought up the earlier idea that God made us to thrive instead of merely survive. That thriving involves the ability to worship and praise God freely in thanksgiving.

Nehemiah 7:2 I put in charge of Jerusalem my brother Hanani, along with Hananiah the commander of the citadel, because he was a man of integrity and feared God more than most people do.

Nehemiah’s focus from the beginning was completing the wall so that the Israelites could safely and with freedom worship God. And suddenly I’m thankful in an entirely new way. I am thankful that we don’t need walls and gates in order to safely worship. I’m thankful that we can gather together digitally with our fellow Christians from another denomination during a difficult time to worship. I’m thankful that we can work with a different denomination to help local victims of a flood. 

Nehemiah 7:3a I said to them, “The gates of Jerusalem are not to be opened until the sun is hot….” 

Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You that a chapter I didn’t fully grasp led me to such overwhelming thankfulness for the freedom I enjoy to worship and praise You. Thank You for Your presence here, Immanuel, God with us. Thank You. Amen.

Nehemiah 7:3b “…While the gatekeepers are still on duty, have then shut the doors and bar them. Also appoint residents of Jerusalem as guards, some at their posts and some near their own houses.”

Have a blessed day.

Nehemiah 6:8 I sent him this reply: “Nothing like what you are saying is happening; you are just making it up out of your head.”

Just like with Nehemiah 4, this chapter should be incredibly discouraging. Sanballat and his cronies have resorted to lies and slander to stop work on the wall. They whisper of impending rebellion led by Nehemiah himself. The goal is to get Nehemiah so busy defending himself from rumors that he has no time for God’s work. Sadly, had I been Nehemiah, the ploy probably would have worked because I would have been concerned about my reputation, my good name, being sullied. And that was Sanballat’s entire mission. 

Nehemiah 6:9 They were all trying to frighten us, thinking, “Their hands will get too weak for the work, and it will not be completed.” But I prayed, “Now strengthen my hands.”

It’s sobering to realize I would have fallen into his plot because of my fear of other people believing a lie. Commentary says: “No enemy can make us afraid; all they can do is try to make us choose fear—but it is up to us to choose it.” Again, sobering. Fear is something I must willingly choose. Yet Nehemiah refuses. He recognizes their ploy and prays for strength to concentrate on God’s work, not Sanballat’s lies.

Nehemiah 6:14 Remember Tobiah and Sanballat, my God, because of what they have done; remember also the prophet Noadiah and how she and the rest of the prophets have been trying to intimidate me.

Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for the reminder that it doesn’t matter what the world thinks. You are all that matters. Help me never to choose fear again, to remember that it is a choice I willingly make and one I can willingly turn away from. Help me to choose You. Always. Amen.

Nehemiah 6:15 So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of Elul, in fifty-two days.

Have a blessed day.

Nehemiah 4:1 When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became angry and was greatly incensed. He ridiculed the Jews….

This should be a fairly discouraging chapter. The enemies are doing their best to discourage the people and stop their progress by playing mind games, which can be terribly effective. However, I finish this chapter with a sense of hope and purpose. The Jews know why they are doing what they are doing and for Whom they do it. If I walked away from this chapter with nothing else, that would be enough. But God….

Nehemiah 4:2 …and in the presence of his associates and the army of Samaria, he said, “What are those feeble Jews doing? Will they restore their wall? Will they offer sacrifices? Will the finish in a day? Can they bring the stones back to life from those heaps of rubble—burned as they are?”

God showed me another hope and purpose in this chapter. The Jews are halfway through building the wall. Much has been done, but there is still so very much left to do. “The strength of the laborers is giving out” (v10). I am also halfway through my labors, halfway through the school year. My strength is also giving out. But there is a rallying cry here, “Remember the LORD, who is great and awesome….” (v14). I am not alone. God is with me. This is not my work I do. I know for a fact God has me where He wants me. He will strengthen me. Thank You, Jesus.

Nehemiah 4:14 After I looked things over, I stood up and said to the…people, “Don’t be afraid of them. Remember the LORD, who is great and awesome….”

Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for the reminder that You are with me, that You will fight for me, that this is Your kingdom work I do. Thank You for seeing my weariness and for covering me with the hope that can only come from You. Draw me closer. Amen.

Nehemiah 4:20 Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, join us there. Our God will fight for us!

Have a blessed day.

Nehemiah 3:1 Eliashib the high priest and his fellow priests went to work and rebuilt the Sheep Gate. They dedicated it and set its doors in place, building as far as the Tower of the Hundred, which they dedicated, and as far as the Tower of Hananel.

During last night’s Christmas Eve service, my pastor said something along the lines of: everything won’t suddenly be changed when Christmas morning dawns. Jesus’s birth was not a magic bullet that instantly fixed everything. It was a bright light of hope for what was and is to come, but there is still much work to do. That feels like a radical idea, but I think God’s plan was always that we partner with Him in this eternal work.

Nehemiah 3:3 The Fish Gate was rebuilt by the sons of Hassenaah. They laid its beams and put its doors and bolts and bars in place.

On its surface, Nehemiah 3 isn’t an ideal Christmas passage, but the more I read and study and pray, the more I see God’s wisdom in this chapter for today. There is still much work to do, and the dumpster fire of 2020 has only added to that work. But if we all do our part, fix our gate, help our neighbor, love God and love others, reflect the hope of Jesus for all to see, then we will continue to pave the way for the life-changing work of our Savior.

Nehemiah 3:14 The Dung Gate was repaired by Malkijah son of Rekab, ruler of the district of Beth Hakkerem. He rebuilt it and put its doors with their bolts and bars in place.

Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for the Baby in a manger, who brought hope into the world. Thank You for the opportunity to partner with You in this kingdom work. There is so much work to do, Lord. Help us to do it joyfully. Draw us closer. Amen.

Nehemiah 3:15 The Fountain Gate was repaired by Shallun son of Kol-Hozeh, ruler of the district of Mizpah. He rebuilt it, roofing it over and putting its doors and bolts and bars in place. He also repaired the wall of the Pool of Siloam, by the King’s Garden, as far as the steps going down from the City of David.

Have a blessed day.

Nehemiah 2:1 In the month of Nisan in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was brought for him, I took the wine and gave it to the king. I had not been sad in his presence before….

Several things struck me about this chapter. The first is that it is written in first person (I, me, we), which drew me in in an entirely different way than third person (he, she, they) does. The second is that the action in this chapter comes after four months of prayer.

Nehemiah 2:4-5 The king said to me, “What is it you want?” Then I prayed to the God of heaven, and I answered the king….

The third is that even though this entire exchange is sanctioned by God, Nehemiah still encounters opposition (from an unexpected source) in the doing. Further, he does not allow that opposition to derail or sidetrack him from God’s will. 

Nehemiah 2:8 …And because of the gracious hand of my God was on me, the king granted my requests.

Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for the reminder that we need to bring all things to You in prayer, that Your will also requires our action, and that just because we root ourselves in Your will does not mean we won’t face obstacles and setbacks. Help us, guide us, and strengthen us, Lord, as we follow Your will for us. Draw us closer. Amen.

Nehemiah 2:20 I answered them by saying, “The God of heaven will give us success…”

Have a blessed day.

Nehemiah 1:3 They said to me, “Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire.”

As I was reading commentary on this chapter, one sentence stopped me in my tracks. The commentator called the people survivors and said, “God has more for us than to be mere survivors.” Surviving is important, it’s a beautiful thing, but mere survival isn’t the goal. God wants us to thrive, not just survive.

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.

Monday marked the last day of first semester. I distinctly remember walking out on Monday, thinking, “I survived.” And I’ve mentioned more than once the slog that was often my way forward this semester. But “God has more for us than to be mere survivors.” I can’t get stuck in survival mode.

Nehemiah 1:5-6 Then I said: “LORD, the God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant of love with those people who love Him and keep His commandments, let Your ear be attentive and Your eyes open to hear the prayer Your servant is praying before You day and night for Your servants, the people of Israel….”

Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for the reminder that You want more for me than just survival. You made me to thrive. You promise Your strength is perfected in my weakness. You promised never to leave me nor forsake me. You encourage me over and over, “Do not be afraid.” Thank You, Lord, for giving me the strength through You to thrive instead of merely survive. Help me to live boldly into Your promises. Amen.

Nehemiah 1:11 “LORD, let Your ear be attentive to the prayer of this Your servant and to the prayer of Your servants who delight in revering Your name….”

Have a blessed day.