Life can be brutally hard; faith in a good God doesn’t shield us from disease, betrayal, financial difficulty, bereavement or any sources of pain that all humanity is exposed to. But we have tenacious hope founded in a promise: one day we will live face to face with God, and he will wipe away every last tear (Revelation 21:4).

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.

Frequently 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.

When 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: …

Not 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.

Have you ever lost sleep because of stress or being anxious about something? According to the National Sleep Foundation, people who suffer from chronic stress sleep less and have poorer sleep quality. When you do not sleep enough, your body produces more stress hormones, making you feel even more stressed out than you were before.

Walking through a forest in the dead of night on a narrow path requires a good flashlight shining out in front. Pointing the light behind me is useless. I liken this picture to heeding the instruction of godly parents.

The road to following the wisdom and instruction that is given us leads to paths where life is good and honorable.