When we do great things, the glory belongs to God, because we couldn't achieve them without God giving us the strength and the resources necessary to complete the task. God gives us those things, and then we need to stubbornly persevere, to have a vision for how God might use us and then pursue that to the end, whatever fear and obstacles may stand in the way. In doing so, our lives point to the glory and love of God.
Thursday, March 30, 2023
Wednesday, March 29, 2023
Nehemiah 6:12-14
Nehemiah 6:12-14
What are you afraid of?
I read a book recently on the fear of God (Recovering Our Sanity by Michael Horton) that addressed our modern fears. Horton made the point that when we properly fear God, we understand God as the ultimate power in our lives, and since we have God's approval, our other fears fade into the background, because we don't have anything to be afraid of since we have been named and claimed by Almighty God. (It sounds easy when I say it, but gets much harder when I try and live it!) In our modern lives, we let our fears get disordered, and so we end up fearing all sorts of things more than God, and then we end up forgetting that God can prevent all those fears from harming us, so we end up paralyzed.
Or, as Nehemiah is talking about, his enemies were trying to make him afraid so that he would sin. His sin would then lead to dishonor, and that would damage his leadership of the people to restore Jerusalem. There was a lot riding on this! Fortunately, Nehemiah kept his fears in the right order, and because he feared God, he didn't fear his enemies.
May we be so wise as to fear God before all else, and may this perspective allow our other fears to diminish in their hold on our lives.
Tuesday, March 28, 2023
Nehemiah 6:10-11
Nehemiah 6:10-11
Sometimes, we forget how clever our enemy is. Nehemiah is confronted with an enemy that is wily, seeking to lure him into a trap to discredit him, trying to convince him that the real effort is to save his life. Spoiler -- it's not. They want to lure him into disgrace.
I think of this as I see the news of another horrific school shooting... our enemy will deceive us and try to destroy us, any way possible. I don't know the facts, but the heartbreak is too familiar. Romans 8 tells us the Spirit comes to us and prays with sighs too deep for words, and sometimes, that's all I have. I'm tempted so often to give up hope, but I think the seeds of hope planted within are stronger than the seeds of despair the enemy keeps planting and watering. It's hard to pay attention to the hope, and it takes work to be vigilant and notice the despair, to pluck it up, find a community, and figure out how to nourish the hope -- May the Holy Spirit continue to bring us together so that we may all listen to the Spirit's prayers and let ourselves be tended to by our master gardener, who knows our every need and cares for us.
Monday, March 27, 2023
Nehemiah 6:4-9
Nehemiah 6:4-9
As someone once said, a lie can travel around the world before the truth has the chance to put on its pants. This seems as true as ever in the digital age. People say things without checking, and the corrections never get as much publicity as the initial saying, so it pays to be first more than it pays to be right.
The temptation, then, is to give in when attacked, even if you know it to be false. Take the easy road, rather than fight uphill.
But Nehemiah shows us the right things to do. He recognizes that his enemies are using fear as bullies, and he stands up to fear.
He also turns to God in prayer -- he knows it won't be easy, but that doesn't stop him from doing what is right. The world needs people who will stand up to bullies and cling to the truth. So may we turn to God in prayer for courage, and do what we know to be right.
Friday, March 24, 2023
Nehemiah 6:1-3
Nehemiah 6:1-3
Feels like we should tattoo this verse on everyone's hand so that when they go to look at their phone, they should consider how that's a distraction from the work they are doing! I wonder if I can get my kids to memorize this. I wonder if I can memorize this verse...
We find so many ways to distract ourselves. It's not just our phones, but that's the most obvious one and easiest one to name. Do you ever set your distractions aside? Do you make time to focus, to do great work? It's hard to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit when we have so much other volume in our lives. Let us set aside our distractions and do great work. Our enemies would distract us from attending to the things of God in our lives.
Thursday, March 23, 2023
Nehemiah 5:14-19
Nehemiah 5:14-19
To follow God will always cost you something in the short term. In the long run, you get far more than you ever give, but not so in the here and now. We tell ourselves the lie, and we live it out, that we can have both, but Scripture doesn't portray it like that. Scripture tells us that we can have joy and peace in the short run, but we have to give something up -- the hard part is realizing that what we get in the long run is so rich that it's worth sacrificing for, and then, and only then, do we get the short term as well.
I wonder if any of us would've ever known about Nehemiah's sacrifices if there hadn't been the scandals with his own people. He lifts this up as a way to encourage the people to sacrifice, but it reads like he's been doing this for a while and only now tells the people about it. So maybe we all need to make sacrifices and not publicize them, but do them just because they're the right thing to do. There aren't many 'anonymous' donations made -- and nobody gets a university building named after an anonymous donor!
It's hard to sacrifice. Maybe Nehemiah is working so hard on the wall and has such a big picture vision that it's second nature for him to do so in order to help complete the wall. Maybe he's got such a perfect vision of God's justice that he can't help but sacrifice. I think it's more likely that he loves his people so much that he wants the best for them. That's what brought him back, and that's what drives him.
May we all be able to love so deeply and so richly.
Wednesday, March 22, 2023
Nehemiah 5:9-13
Nehemiah 5:9-13
English Standard Version
I know well the temptation to use more words than less, to try and speak with a flourish, perhaps more than required, when direct speech is what is called for. More words are not always better -- often, we need to be clear, concise, and direct.
Nehemiah nails it here in what is one of my favorite passages in Scripture. As discussed, the wealthy and powerful are abusing their power at the expense of the poor within their own community, and Nehemiah directly calls them out by saying that this thing they are doing is not good. By failing to honor one another within their community, they're failing to glorify God in sight of their enemies. Israel is supposed to be an example to the nations, but instead they're doing the same thing as everyone else, and it's not good.
The people, to their credit, repent when called out. They don't try to defend their actions or explain them away... they simply repent and then restore, at cost to themselves -- because forgiveness exacts a cost from the one doing the forgiving.
And finally, they do as promised.
May we do likewise -- to be clear when it is called for in our speech, to repent when we are wrong, and to do as we say. In doing so, may we be an example to the outside & watching world.
Tuesday, March 21, 2023
Nehemiah 5:6-8
Nehemiah 5:6-8
At times, it's wisest to hold your tongue.
At other times, we need to hold one another accountable, to speak truth, as hard as that may be. Here, Nehemiah sees how his own people are selling their brothers and sisters into slavery. He recognizes that these are hard times, but the way forward is not to take advantage of one another.
But note the process -- Nehemiah is angry, very angry, but first he takes counsel before he speaks. Before he does anything, he stops and considers the right path, the next step.
How often do you do this? How often do we truly take the time to consider our next steps and the ramifications of our choices, one way or another? It's easy to lash out... but once that action is taken, you can't take it back.
So may we be prudent, and pause to ask for the guidance of the Holy Spirit before we act.
Monday, March 20, 2023
Nehemiah 5:1-5
Nehemiah 5:1-5
English Standard Version
It's easy to focus on external enemies -- we can rally around the cause and raise awareness and form a common identity as we have 'us' versus 'them'.
What can happen, though, is we spend so much time focused externally that we forget to take care of those within our borders. Here, Nehemiah has everyone focused on building the wall, but in the meantime, the powerful are taking advantage of the weak. Some of the poor are having to sell family members into debt-slavery to make ends meet, and tragedy is occurring within the community as the weak are lost within the ongoing struggle to get the wall built.
May we consistently pray for the Holy Spirit wisdom to see the world as God sees it, that we can see the despair in the world, and often in our own community. It's easy to forget about those within our borders who are in dire need of help when we're focused externally. May we look to serve with consistency.
Friday, March 17, 2023
Nehemiah 4:21-23
Nehemiah 4:21-23
There comes a time to buckle down and work.
It's no easy conclusion, and faith isn't always easy -- often it asks much of us. We like things to be easy, and I wish I could say they always will be, but that isn't the case. At times, all there is left to do is work. What is the work that is in front of you? Perhaps it's time in study or in service or time to pray. Sometimes, the only solution is to work harder... the only way forward is through, as has been said. What is the work in front of you, the next step you are called into?
Thursday, March 16, 2023
Nehemiah 4:15-20
Nehemiah 4:15-20
It's a fascinating image -- here's the people building the wall, and they have tools in one hand and weapons in the other. It reminds me a little of the image of Karl Barth talking about preaching with the Bible in one hand and the newspaper in other. We focus on the tools of being Christians, but we also engage with the world. Jesus did ministry in the midst of the city, just as we're called to ministry in the midst of the city and communities --we love our neighbors, and it's critical for us to know about the world, to use the world's tools, as we are in the midst of it.
And sometimes, we get in deep trouble in the midst of the world, and in those moments... we sound the alarm, and the church rallies around those in trouble, and we always remember, God will fight for us!
As it says in Exodus and repeats here, God will fight for us, we have only to be still.
Wednesday, March 15, 2023
Nehemiah 4:10-14
Nehemiah 4:10-14
Do you ever get tired? Or grow anxious and concerned? Ever lose the ability to focus on what might come next because you're so caught up in worrying about other things?
May we as the church band together and stand strong next to you as you labor on, offering our prayers and our love and our strength to shield you from the things that worry you, that you may not feel alone and exposed as you engage with your work.
May we as a community find a way to fight anxiety as we serve together -- may we pray to remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for our community! It's a balance -- we love God and neighbor, and we stand along those who labor, and our work joins together to glorify God and help each other succeed.
Tuesday, March 14, 2023
Nehemiah 4:7-9
Nehemiah 4:7-9
There's an old joke about a man who was stranded on the roof of his house during a flood, and he turned away all attempts to rescue him, even the helicopter, because he said that God would save him. When he arrived at the pearly gates, he asked why God didn't save him, and God simply sighed and replied, "I sent you a helicopter..."
When the enemies of the Jews grew angry, the Jews prayer to God AND set a guard as protection. They turned it over to God, and they also did what was prudent. Perhaps God would answer them through the setting of a guard?
When we pray for the sick or the hurting, we can also reach out to them and see what other things we can do for people. When we pray for help making a decision, we can also ask other wise people around us what they think. When we pray for strength, we can also go to the gym. God works through many ways, and God often needs us to move and answers our prayers along the way. Sometimes, the answer to prayer is only revealed once we take the next step.
Monday, March 13, 2023
Nehemiah 4:1-6
Nehemiah 4:1-6
How do you respond to someone belittling the work that you are doing?
I love Nehemiah's response -- the prayer is asking for vengeance, but they're not asking to deliver it, just that God set things right at some point down the road.
And then, they get back to building the wall. They take a moment to turn their anger over to God, and then they turn back to focusing on the task at hand.
May we all be so diligent, and may we be so willing to turn things over to God and trust that all will be set right in God's time.
Thursday, March 9, 2023
Nehemiah 3:1-2
Nehemiah 3:1-2
If I told you that God called you to rebuild the walls of a giant city, you'd likely be intimidated. Maybe you'd be so intimidated that you'd quit before you ever really got started. You'd think the project was impossible, and so you'd leave it for someone else to do, assuming God made a mistake when God called you into the task.
God has a pretty amazing way of calling people who are underqualified into tasks, and then God equips them as they go. Along the way, they discover that they don't have to do things on their own. All they have to do is take the next step, and then see what God has in store once that step is complete.
The entire 3rd chapter of Nehemiah, all 32 verses of it, is a list of the various people that start rebuilding the various parts of the wall. None of them takes the entire section -- they each take responsibility for a small section, and they work on that. We could probably say that each of them does a fairly unremarkable part of the project in comparison to the whole thing. But they each take a part.
Nehemiah doesn't have to do this on his own.
You don't have to do it on your own, either, whatever the task may be. God calls us into things and equips us along the way, and we discover that we aren't on our own. We're called as a community, into community, and sent together to serve and love as a community.
So don't get intimidated, and certainly don't give up! You'll discover resources along the way.
Wednesday, March 8, 2023
Nehemiah 2:17-20
Nehemiah 2:17-20
Good teachers don't simply tell you how to mimic them to do something the right way. They inspire an imagination and drive within the student so that the student wants to do things for themselves. Good teachers help students think for themselves, so that the legacy of the teacher goes beyond the classroom and drives the student in other areas of life.
What Nehemiah does here is so interesting. The people of Jerusalem have been living as victims inside the ruined walls of the city. At any point, they could have started fixing them on their own, but they were simply waiting, existing. Nehemiah shows up, takes a tour, then tells them that he's there to fix the walls... and suddenly they're inspired to build and strengthening their own hands for the work they are about to do.
Nehemiah points to how God has called him to lead, and the people are encouraged to follow, even in the face of opposition. Sanballat and Tobiah mock the effort from the start, but it's funny that they think Nehemiah will be worried about the king. Nehemiah is on a mission from God -- even the king couldn't stop him if he tried, and he's inspired the people to believe the same thing.
So friends, believe that you are called and sent by God, and tell others about God's calling and sending, and there isn't a force in the world that can stop you!
Tuesday, March 7, 2023
Nehemiah 2:14-16
Nehemiah 2:14-16
I think of this as the lonely work. Lonely work is the work you do when no one else is watching. Lonely work is the preparation work -- people don't see it, and in every field/profession on earth, it's underappreciated. It's the thousands of practice swings that a professional golfer takes when the cameras aren't trained on her. It's the exhausting hours of study in medical school that doctors endure. It's the wearying examination of documents lawyers pore over. It's the hours of textual study ministers enter into. It's the prayer closet each Christian is called to.
When we neglect this work, we often end up unprepared. It's the research of Nehemiah before he goes before the officials. He sets off on his own to learn, to prepare, to see.
May we put in the time and the work. This is the time that prepares our minds and leads our hearts.
Monday, March 6, 2023
Nehemiah 2:9-13
Nehemiah 2:9-13
We like to believe that everyone will welcome us with open arms when we show up to help. Sadly, that's not always the case. Imagine that you're Nehemiah -- you've left behind a great job, headed to a rundown Jerusalem, and as soon as you show up, some of the local muscle is already disappointed that you're there.
What do you do?
If it were me.... I'd probably start complaining to God, asking why God sent me to this place where people weren't happy to see me. Even if I had volunteered in the first place! Then I'd start looking around for someone to blame.
But that's not Nehemiah's approach. He goes right into the city, untroubled by this opposition. He gets to work -- he's got a job to do, and even if others aren't happy with his presence, he's going to get to work protecting the people and the city.
We're going to face opposition. Jesus promises this, although many preachers skip over that section. We face opposition today in all sorts of different channels and places, but just like Nehemiah, we have a choice. We can get busy focusing on the mission, or we can go back to where we thought we were safe. Safety is an illusion -- the world doesn't offer us that, and there are no guarantees of it. The only safety is in God's hands. So let's get busy serving, and let the opposition be whatever it shall be, for we trust in God.
Thursday, March 2, 2023
Nehemiah 2:5-8
Nehemiah 2:5-8
It's easy to assume that everyone is in stiff competition, but the reality is that there are so many people out there that are eager to help. They just don't know what or how to give.
Nehemiah is in an important service role to the king, but his heart and faith lead him back to Jerusalem. Before he goes, though, he asks the King for material support to help rebuild Jerusalem. The King gives it willingly, offering passage and timber for Nehemiah to have the resources he needs to rebuild Jerusalem. If he'd been shy and hadn't asked, he never would have received.
What are you in need of, and how can you ask for those things from someone who might be willing to give them?
Likewise, there are probably people who you can encourage to ask for what they're looking for. If you have resources that you're willing to share, be open and honest with people who might need them. Perhaps there's a way to help one another as we all walk this road together.
Wednesday, March 1, 2023
Nehemiah 2:1-4
Nehemiah 2:1-4
When faced with big life choices, what do you do?
There are all sorts of places that will give you advice on what to do next. But really, Nehemiah shows us the way --- he prays. When faced with a massive life choice, before a king who can give him whatever he wishes, he stops to pray.
When you have the same moment, stop to pray. When faced with life choices, whatever they may be, stop to pray. Perhaps God will show you the next step to take.
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