The Story of God seems to have faltered. The promise of the return of God’s people after the exile of judgment and all the glory to follow which predicted that Jerusalem would become the centre of world salvation seems to have been shipwrecked on the shore of reality (Jeremiah 31:16-40). A few of the exiles have returned, and the temple has been rebuilt.
Read More despair, kingdom, confession, reality, promises of God, petitionFrequently in our lives there seems to be a “disconnect” between prayer and action. Those who are inspired by action have little time for prayer, while those who focus on prayer never get around to doing anything. Nehemiah gives us a beautiful example of prayer leading to action.
Read More prayer, kingdom, actionWhen Nehemiah gets to Jerusalem he takes a long look at reality! He carefully surveys the ruins of Jerusalem. He is no “pie in the sky” dreamer. He confronts reality. After resting he goes on a famous night journey around the city to see the real state of affairs in Jerusalem: …
Read More answered prayer, ruins, God’s help, realityNot only does Jesus tell his disciples to pray for the coming of the kingdom in the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:10), he tells them in his great commission to actively pursue building the kingdom (Matthew 28:18-20). In this chapter of Scripture, the people respond to Nehemiah’s encouragement and assessment of the situation in Jerusalem.
Read More strength, encouragement, community, work, repairA central theme running throughout Scripture’s story is that of a war between the kingdom of light and the kingdom of darkness. The attempt to rebuild the city of God runs into problems from a number of sources. The first is the surrounding inhabitants who resent the work.
Read More problems, work, opposition, defence, realismAfter working on the walls and completing the task, Nehemiah becomes aware of the need to work on hearts – his own and his people’s. There are more than broken walls to mend; there are broken hearts to heal. His people are not living like those who have been redeemed.
Read More slavery, redeemed people, loveWhen the work of restoration was all but finished, Nehemiah received an offer to meet with his enemies for consultation. But Nehemiah was not distracted from finishing his work. He had to see his work through to the end. He saw through his enemies’ strategy to delay the work and he responded, “How can I give up this task to meet with you?
Read More distractions, God's work