Lasting results

Nehemiah 13:14 Remember me for this, my God, and do not blot out what I have so faithfully done for the house of my God and its services.

When I read this prayer of Nehemiah, something resonates in my own heart about his desire.  The entire story of Nehemiah is of a man who was called by God to do something seemingly entirely foreign to his experience and his personality.  He was a cup-bearer to the king in his exile from his homeland yet his heart ached over the situation in his home county, and he had spent time in prayer about it.  Then when God made it clear to him that he should be in charge he did so.  In this final chapter of his story he again had to step up and be strong in leadership, which he did.  I see here the essence of true, God-blessed, God-ordained leadership.  He saw what was wrong and took steps to correct things, which was good, but his prayer tells me it was not easy for Nehemiah to do.  He wanted to be sure that he had done something God would bless by making it a lasting result, whether it was done perfectly or not.  That is my own prayer as well.

No regrets

Nehemiah 8:10b Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.

As I read these verses in chapter 8 I realized that the leaders told the people over and over not to grieve.  Why?  The Book of the Law was being read to them for evidently the first time in a long time.  As they heard, the people were beginning to understand it anew and recognize their spiritual need.  Verse 9 says they began weeping as they heard it.  So Nehemiah and the Levites were comforting them.  It is as though they were saying, “The past is done with.  You have made a new commitment to God so do not dwell on the past.”  Verse 12 says the people celebrated with great joy because they now understood God’s words.  Our strength to face the future comes from our joy of forgiveness.  Our past failures do not have to cripple us as we move forward.  The past is just that … passed.  Our forgiven sin is over, forgiven and forgotten by God.  We can face new tomorrows freely and joyfully.  No regrets.

Strengthen my hands

Nehemiah 6:9 They were all trying to frighten us, thinking, “Their hands will get too weak for the work, and it will not be complete.”  But I prayed, “Now strengthen my hands.”

There are so many times when we are tempted to give up on something God has given us to do because of things that happen or things that people say to us that discourage us.  It is important to keep in mind God’s call on us for whatever task it is that we are doing, and to remember that our enemy will do whatever he can to discourage or destroy us and render us unable to work.  We can pray this same prayer that Nehemiah prayed, “Strengthen my hands.”  Even the act of praying this simple prayer has brought courage and strength to keep on keeping on when I have prayed it.  It has kept me from giving up when otherwise I would have done so.

When little is a lot

Nehemiah 3:33 Benjamin and Hasshub made repairs in front of their houses; and next to them, Azariah son of Maaseiah, the song of Ananiah, made repairs beside this house.

The task of repairing the entire wall around Jerusalem was without a doubt a huge job for these few exiles who returned from Babylon to repair the city.  Where do you start when everything needs cleaning up and repair?  I know how I feel when I face a big clean-up at home, so I can only imagine how big and how discouraging this could have been for these Israelites.  How to do it?  Take a small “bite” and start working!  This chapter tells just that … each family repaired the small portion of the wall that was in front of their own house.  When put all together, each little portion turned into a big job completed.  I cannot be deterred from doing a little bit at a time.  It will grow big.  And I love the statement in chapter 4 that says the leaders stood behind the people, guarding them while they worked on the wall.  That support was, I am quite certain, very energizing to those who were trying to work and guard their work at the same time... energizing and encouraging.  I see this as a picture of what our church leaders/pastors do for us.  They are watching out for us as we try to build in our lives.