March 17, 2019

We live in a day of broken promises and broken covenants. So many of us have felt the hurt of either experiencing the broken promise of a friend or family member. Even worse, we know the shame of having failed to keep a promise that we made to someone we care about. This epidemic of promise breaking has produced a generation who is afraid to make commitment for fear they’ll fail. Where do we turn? Who makes and keeps their promises, their covenants, these days? God does. For God is a covenant making, covenant keeping and covenant sealing God!

In the Book of Nehemiah chapters 9-10, the Israelites remembered the covenant God had made with them and responded by renewing their commitment to Him. We can respond to that same God who offers to covenant with us.

March 10, 2019

Do you know how to celebrate? God’s people love to celebrate what God has done. In Nehemiah chapter 8, Nehemiah assembled the people in Jerusalem to celebrate the victory God had given them in freeing them from exile and helping them to rebuild their Temple and city walls. We can celebrate the victory that God has given us.

March 3, 2019

In what ways has God called and gifted you? Do you know the sense of fulfillment and purpose that living for God brings? In Nehemiah chapter 7, God put it in Nehemiah’s heart to gather the people and their gifts together to call them to live as citizens in the city of Jerusalem. God is still gathering His people together to call them to live as citizens of His kingdom.

February 26, 2019

What are you committed to? You can tell a lot about a person by their commitments. Are you committed to your spouse? To your kids? Are you committed to your job? To your school work or degree? Maybe you’re committed to owning a house or a car? The truth is, our commitments reveal our investments and vice versa. We expend our effort and resources on the things we are committed to.

Nehemiah was committed to the rebuilding of Jerusalem. In the book of Nehemiah, Nehemiah made the commitment to persevere in God’s calling to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. We can make the commitment to persevere in the calling God has given us.

February 17, 2019

Nehemiah called the people to rise up and focus their money and effort on God’s mission to rebuild the wall, yet the fact that some were not sacrificing for the work caused strife among the people of God.

In the book of Nehemiah, Nehemiah led the people to stop the financial strife that had arisen between them against God’s mission. We can stop the internal financial strife that arises against God’s mission for His people.

February 10, 2019

If you’re trying to live for the Lord, you will face opposition. Sometimes it comes from the world’s culture which is contrary to the life of the Spirit. Yet, often it comes from friends and family who don’t know the Lord, or who aren’t as committed to following and serving Him as you are trying to be. And sometimes, opposition comes from other Christians who either don’t understand or aren’t walking in the Spirit. But as Jesus said, you will have trouble and opposition in this world, but He has overcome the world.

In the book of Nehemiah, the people of God placed their faith in the Lord to overcome the opposition against rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. We can place our faith in the Lord to overcome the opposition against doing the Lord’s work.

February 3, 2019

It’s one thing to see the brokenness in our city, but it’s another thing altogether to join the work of repairing it. Yet, it’s often the very act of joining the work of the Lord in our city that we see miracles happen to heal our city, we see miracle happen in our own lives as well. Who needs a miracle from God today to heal the brokenness in your life?

In Nehemiah chapter 3, Nehemiah recorded the names and work assignments of the Israelites who answered God’s call to rise up and join the work of repairing the broken walls of Jerusalem. God still calls His people to rise up and join His work.

January 27, 2019

How should we respond to the brokenness in our world? The people of Jerusalem responded by sharing the vision that God had given Nehemiah. In the book of Nehemiah, God put it in the heart of the cupbearer to the king of Persia to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. After inspecting the brokenness of the city, Nehemiah shared his God-given vision to rebuild with the people of Israel and they committed to join him to rise up and build. God has given us a vision to rise up and build to make more room for the broken in our city.

January 20, 2019

What are you willing to risk for God? In a way, that’s really a trick question because nothing you invest in God’s work is ever lost. In the book of Nehemiah, the Lord moved Nehemiah to take a faith risk to ask the king of Persia for permission to rebuild the wall surrounding Jerusalem. The Lord always calls His people to take risks of faith to accomplish His purpose. How can we respond to God’s call to take risks of faith to accomplish His purpose?

January 13, 2019

The people recognized that their city of Jerusalem was in trouble. Its gates were ruined and its walls were broken down. When they heard the vision God had given His servant Nehemiah to rebuild, they caught the vision and said, “Let us rise up and build.”

Whenever God wants to get a work done, He lays hold of a people who are willing to rise up. The walls of Jerusalem had been ruined; a small remnant had returned; and there was much work that needed to be done. In 536 BC, Zerubbabel had taken about 50,000 Jews back and by 516 BC had rebuilt the temple. In 457 BC, there had been a small revival under Ezra, but now it was 445 BC, and God was looking for someone to go to the ruined city and restore safety and order. Nehemiah was that person. In the book of Nehemiah, God caused Nehemiah to rise up and catch a vision for his city, Jerusalem.