Nehemiah 1-3; Psalm 117
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I forget how much I love the book of Nehemiah. It is one of those books that makes you
want to get up and do something. A
book that shows a great leader and the difference one person can make when they
seek God, trust in His vision, and take action.
A few things that stood out for me…
~“When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and
prayed before the God of heaven.”
God will put things in our heart that move us, and it is for a
reason – so we will do something to change it. I also take heart to the phrase “for some days” because it
shows that Nehemiah was persistent in his prayers and had to wait on the Lord
for the vision.
~Nehemiah is a man of God and a man of prayer. When he prayed he praised God, he
confessed sin, he used scripture and claimed God’s promises, and he asked for
God’s help. I also love in chapter
2 verse 4 when the king asks Nehemiah, “What is it you want?”, it says, “Then I
prayed to the God of heaven, and I answered the king.” He was prayerful at all times and
sought God’s guidance in each moment.
~”I was cupbearer to the king.” This last sentence in chapter 1 is
almost like an afterthought. It
might not seem that important, but it shows that Nehemiah was very high up,
basically second to the emperor himself.
It also shows his selflessness because he risked everything by asking
the king to leave to help Jerusalem.
~He rallies the people and organizes every family so that everyone
is a player in getting the job done, and they begin the work.
~To ridicule he responds with faith, “The God of heaven will give
us success.”
To sum it up, I love this quote about Nehemiah: “He did not act
without prayer, and he did not pray without acting.” This gets my heart fired up!
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