True Understanding=True Rejoicing

Chapter 7:

We won't spend a lot of time on this chapter but there are a couple of observations that need attention. The backdrop to this chapter is, of course, the completion of the wall.

1. First you see Nehemiah continue in stellar leadership. He does not finish the wall, pat himself on the back and put his feet up. Instead, you see him taking seriously the responsibility of protecting the people. He appoints people for leadership based not on worldly wisdom but on the premise of faithfulness and fear of God.

*What a great lesson to remind us to not be tempted to assign leadership roles based foremost on ability, rather, the faithfulness and fear of God in an individual.

2. Secondly, you see Nehemiah obediently respond to God's prompting by assembling the people to be enrolled in genealogies. I think it's easy to become bored with names of people when we don't know who they are, particularly names that are nearly impossible to pronounce, ha ha. However, maybe we shouldn't focus on the individual names as much as the significance of all of them together represent. You see, these names are the individuals and families that would carry on the heritage of Abraham and make possible the furtherance of the lineage of Christ. The names of these exiled people were chosen to bring forth the Name above all Names through their return to Jerusalem.

*Have you ever visited the Vietnam War Memorial? I have not. But I have heard what a moving experience it is to see list after list of names of those who sacrificed for our country's freedom. How much more moving, then, is it to see a list of names of those who represent the carrying on of a promise that would bring ultimate freedom to the world, for all who believe.

Chapter 8:

I am still trying to wrap my brain around this text. There is a LOT to absorb here. We've talked so far in our study together about tools of observation.... repeated words/phrases, location and context. Well, here's another one to notice... TIME : ) Repetition, location, context and time are ALL important in this chapter.

*Observation 1 : The scene of this chapter opens up at the Water Gate(remember reading about this in the building of the wall?). It's very interesting that this Gate is the chosen place for the reading of the Word. "Water" is very symbolic in the Bible. It often represents a "washing" of your spirit through the Word of God.... the Word cleanses and washes our souls.

*Observation 2: A specific word that is repeated several times is "understanding". Reading and hearing the Word of God requires understanding. Matthew 13:14-15 says,

"You will keep on hearing, but will not understand; you will keep on seeing, but will not perceive; For the heart of this people has become dull, with their ears they scarcely hear, and they have closed their eyes, Otherwise they would see with their eyes, hear with their ears, and UNDERSTAND with their heart and return, And I would heal them."

The people listening to Ezra read the Word of the Lord heard with their hearts... they understood.

*Observation 3: Did you all notice the timing of this chapter? It was a feast... the feast of trumpets. We know that because the text says it was the first day of the 7th month. It was to be a week of rejoicing. But in verse 9, we are told that the people were weeping. Why? After hearing the Word of God with UNDERSTANDING, there was conviction and repentance. The great news is that with repentance and turning towards God, there is healing. Now that's cause for celebration! Nehemiah reminded them that they were to rejoice in the midst of their godly sorrow. And in their understanding they did just that... they ate, drank and celebrated!

All 3 of these observations could have so many applications for all of us. In light of the trials facing my family, these bring heavy TRUTHS. We absolutely MUST know the Word of God. Understanding MUST accompany reading and hearing the Word of God. Matthew 13:19 says,

"When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is the one on whom seed was sown beside the road."

There are many believers today that would rather be spoon fed by sermons, inspirational worship music and passionate literature(books that have not been "inspired" such as the Bible but because they are about God or the Bible, they are considered "Bible studies") than dig in and be cleansed by the washing of the Word of God. My question for those who feel that I've stepped on their toes is this, "Do you have understanding?" and "Are you ready in season and out of season to answer?" If your answer is "no", you have put yourself in a dangerous position. False teaching is rampant today. The devil does not play fair and probably knows Scripture better than you. Do not be tossed about by every wind of doctrine but stand firm on the rock of your salvation.

With true understanding, there is conviction which leads to repentance. Repentance is a turning away from sin and a turning TOWARDS God. The Word of God is powerful and has the ability to divide soul and spirit. Being washed with the Word continuously is necessary for believers. Having this understanding, there is JOY in the healing only the LORD of LORDS can bring. It is this JOY to which Nehemiah refers in verse 10.."for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength."

No matter your trial today, friend, no matter your sin... He is mighty to save! Allow His Word to cleanse you and wash you, read with understanding and REJOICE for HE is our STRENGTH!

Summer pics and Nehemiah 4-6

Finally redeemed the pastor appreciation gift from our church for a family Cardinal's game!

The "pack-pack" girls...

not sure if we could go anywhere without our pack-packs.

Went on a short mini-vacay to St. Louis... the girls and me at the City Museum!

It was sooo cool.. the tunnels+artwork=awesome!

Kids with Daddy waiting for the water to splash in the cave!

I think the boys could have climbed through these metal tunnels for hours...

not me, my knees are stilling saying "ouch"!

We couldn't get over how fearless our girls were!

Dave and the treasure he found... a fire hydrant that claims his favorite state.

Anyone else have a two yr. old that adamantly says,

"I do it!" with EVERYTHING?? Good thing she's cute!

Our only family pic... at the Arch

It was a looong day of walking... everyone's feet were giving out.

So glad our big boy is growing up and can help carry the load!

(Dave had Sarah on his shoulders : )

Monkey see as monkey do : )

Always love the zoo!

Zach crossing home plate!

Caleb taking his stance on the pitcher's mound.

Nehemiah 4-6:

Thanks for not giving up on me... as you can see from the pics, we've had an event filled summer. It hasn't kept me from His Word but the blog certainly took a back burner for a while : )

Chapter 4- This chapter dealt with one major theme FEAR! Have you ever been afraid? I know I have! I've feared physical events, emotional and physical pain, and constantly battle the fear of the unknown. Fear is a tactic of the enemy and is especially effective with believers. Why? It paralyzes and is contagious. Check out any statements made by Adolf Hitler on his "weapons of war" and fear was one his best tools.

In this chapter, the enemy conspired together to wage war against the Jews as they set out to rebuild. When Nehemiah saw the fear rise up in his people, he reminded them who God is and not to fear. He told them to "fight". In verse 17, we are told the workers did their work with one hand and held their weapon with the other. They had a trumpet sound to rally for battle... knowing "Our God will fight for us."

In the current trial my family is enduring, fear has been a major component. It has sought to destroy and paralyze those of us doing our best to "build the wall", if you will. But when fear comes knocking, we are quickly learning to REMEMBER who the Lord is... how great and awesome is HE and to not be afraid. With one hand we build for God's glory and with the other we wield the sword of TRUTH, ready to confront the enemy. And when the enemy comes, we sound the trumpet to all the believers fighting this battle with us and PRAY for we know that "Our God will fight for us."

Chapter 5- I got a little help from my friend, Wiersbe, on this chapter. The first 5 verses require knowledge about Jewish customs and laws to understand the whole gravity of what was going on. Wiersbe entitle this section "selfishness". Basically Jews were cheating Jews and even forcing bondage on some. All for the almighty dollar... well, probably not the "dollar", but you know what I mean : ) Wiersbe makes an interesting point that when Satan fails at one attempt, he often tries to destroy internally.... through our own selfishness. Think about that for a minute... makes sense doesn't it??

When we are seeking to " build a wall" or God's kingdom , we must remember Christ humbly became the ultimate servant, taking the form of a bond-servant and we are to follow that example!

Chapter 6- Ok, so I finally decided, yep, this one's my favorite! Probably because of the HOPE we find in verse 16.

The chapter opens up with an attempt to lure Nehemiah to a"meeting", so that the enemy could trap him. Then another attempt was made to stop the work by spreading lies and an accusation that Nehemiah was a rebel. When that did not work, a traitor was sent to persuade Nehemiah to hide in the temple so that they could kill him.

And did Nehemiah falter, hesitate or submit to the threats and tauntings of the enemy?? Nope. He was steadfast. He recognized every attempt made by his adversary.

In fact the wall was completed IN THE MIDST of these "trials". It was finished in a mere 52 days. As a result of their enemies HEARING and SEEING it .... they lost their confidence. For they recognized the work had been accomplished with the help of God!

How can we apply this chapter to our lives?

1. We can be alert and aware of the schemes of Satan... there are a LOT of verses about this one. Why don't you spend a little time today looking some up? The best way of spotting a lie is to KNOW the Truth!

2. When we are faced with lies, we don't believe them. Be steadfast and stand firm in your faith!!

3. Never underestimate God's work in the midst of trials... remember, His ways are not our ways.

4. When GOD does something, even the enemy recognizes it! May we be people who do things WITH God's strength and FOR God's glory so that ALL may see HOPE of Christ!

Much love to you today and may His joy be your strength!

Big God for a Big Job

I hate to admit it but I am easily overwhelmed by the "big picture" when there is a big job to be done. Recently, I was gone for a few days to go to a conference and upon return, I unexpectedly had to leave again for 3 more days. And oh man, when I get out of routine, things pile up fast. Needless to say, it's taken over a month for this house to return to order : )

Can you even imagine for a moment the BIG job that awaited Nehemiah and the Israelites? Sure there were a lot of people willing to do the work but where to start?? And who does what?? I organize a local conference for orphan care/adoption every year and work with a team of about 5 or 6 people. My head sometimes swims with all the details and oversight to make sure each thing gets done in the time it needs to. But, I cannot even begin to wrap my mind around the organization needed to oversee 42 different groups of people. I mean how crazy is that??

There were 3 things that stood out to me in Chapter 3: the people, the repairs and the process.

The people

Like I said before, there were a LOT of people. There are 42 different groups of people recorded along with many individuals and anonymous people. Notice how they were all kinds of people too... nobles, officials, priests, governors, lay people, townspeople, sons and daughters. Warren Wiersbe points out in Be Determined, how this reflects what Paul said in 1 Cor. 12&14 about the many members of the Body that make up the Church. It takes all kinds to do the work of the Lord... and each person has their place.

The repairs

If I've learned anything about studying the Bible, it's that you always pay attention to repeated words. Well, it's pretty hard to miss that "repairs" is a repeated word : ) The word means to make strong and firm. They weren't trying to accomplish some shoddy work... they were building to last. It's also interesting to note that though the walls were torn down... something still existed in the form of the wall in order to be rebuilt.

The process

This was the most fun part for me to study. Another tool in studying the Bible is to always pay attention to locations. If you are unfamiliar with the layout of the city of Jerusalem, it would be easy to skim over the many gates and towers during this chapter. You have to be willing to dig to uncover jewels : ) Luckily for me, I have a map of the walls and gates of Jerusalem in my Bible. So, as I read through this chapter I located each gate on the map. It was very rewarding to take this extra time to discover that there was a specific order to repairing the wall. They started at the north end of the city and went counter-clockwise in a circle until they came back to the Sheep Gate again. Isn't it just like our God to be so orderly? I also was blessed to read commentaries on the significance of the names of each gate in light of the order in which they were repaired... I'd encourage you to investigate this for yourself!

Chapter 3 was very powerful for me in light of a recent family crisis. When facing insurmountable tasks, obstacles and trials as an individual, family or church.... what can we learn from this chapter?

*I think we can learn that God will use many, many people... great and small. He will use many different kinds of people to be the fulfillment of the Body of Christ. After all, it is for HIS glory that we do all things.

*I think we can learn that God will rebuild the sacred things of God, whether it be His people, relationships or ministries, to make them strong and firm... He won't use some "quick fix". His ways are not our ways... and most definitely not America's "instant gratification" ways. His ways are also not the newest fad or creative idea but rather, His ways are timeless and never changing... ahh, the importance of knowing our God through the WHOLE Word of God and not selective passages.

*I think we can learn that God will use a process that is orderly, significant and meaningful. We should never want to rearrange the process/order of things God has designed. If we remember that "all things work together for good for those who are in Christ Jesus", we can know that every part of whatever process we go through in life is necessary and for our own good and more importantly, for the good of the Kingdom of God. (Obviously, I am not talking about willfully choosing to sin here.)

I pray God is encouraging you as much as He is me in this study! Can't wait to get to chapter 4 next... it's a toss up between 4 and 6 of which one is my favorite so far : ) Thanks to all who have commented and or let me know they are joining me on this journey with Nehemiah... I really enjoy hearing what God is saying to each of you personally and how much is blesses me too!

Do we have the confidence to succeed?

Well.. I hope you haven't lost interest in our friend, Nehemiah, since I've taken soooo long to post again. But I know you won't be disappointed in the truths you will be SURE to discover about our awesome God in this precious book!

We left off the story with Nehemiah requesting permission from the king of Persia to go back home and rebuild his homeland... the city of David. Our text today is Chapter 2:9-20. Nehemiah arrives in Jerusalem despite the displeasure of several officials in the land. He inspects the destruction by night so the officials and Jews would not know what he was doing. Then he makes his announcement.

Nehemiah gives his testimony, in a sense, of how God has been working in his life up to that moment. He invites others to join in what God is doing. Their response... Let's do it!!

What do we learn here...

I think it's interesting to note the process that Nehemiah goes about gaining the support of his people. First, he investigates the situation thoroughly and therefore able to speak knowledgeably as to what he is proposing. Secondly, he speaks to the people with the plan and backs it up with God's favor and the king's favor. Nehemiah speaks with confidence because it is God's WILL(ch. 2:12) to rebuild the wall and city!!!

One application could be...

... when God speaks to you to "do" something.... 1. educate yourself and investigate 2. be sure you KNOW it's God's will and can speak confidently being able to back up what you're doing with Scripture. Do we have the confidence to succeed? It must be the RIGHT confidence. I love the last verse of Ch. 2...

"So I answered them and said to them, "The God of heaven will give us success; therefore we His servants will arise and build, but you(the enemy) have no portion, right or memorial in Jerusalem."

We don't have anything to fear when we are following God's will... HE will give success... just as in fact He has already succeeded!!

I would love to keep going on to chapters 3 and 4... I am anxious to share the beauty of these next scriptures but I will leave you today with this and pray to meet with you again in a few days for those next treasures!

Zachary Lost His 3rd Tooth!

Zachary lost his 3rd tooth on the last day of school today! He's been patiently waiting and today was the big day. He lost it by bonking into Emily and then he thought something was in his mouth and he reached in and it was his tooth! The place he lost it was at McDonald's.

Do we even care?

Have you ever received words that literally dropped you to your knees? I mean the kind of news that sends your heart and mind into a tailspin? How did you respond? Did you run to a friend, shake your fists in the air, pull the covers over your head and not want to face life? Or have you faced such despair that darkness prevails and depression swallows your life?

Our friend, Nehemiah, faced such a time as this. Nehemiah was a cupbearer for the King of Persia, a generation after the famous story of Queen Esther. Cupbearer was a secure and prominent position that could lend itself to having great influence, bad or good. However, the Lord had plans that would change Nehemiah's comfortable life. Just one simple conversation.

Friends of Nehemiah came from Judah and he asked them how things were for the Jews who survived the captivity and about Jerusalem. Upon hearing the words of great distress, reproach and the desolation of the city, Nehemiah sat and wept. He wept and he mourned for DAYS. He fasted and prayed.

Is there anything in your life that is in ruins? Is there distress? Reproach? How about someone else's life? How about your neighbor that is lost spiritually? Do you care? Do you sit down and weep? Do you fast and pray over their distress? Tough questions, I know. And I must confess, that God has convicted me of what caring really looks like. Could there be more than an "I'll be praying for you" here and a "bless your heart" there? How often do we sit and weep over sacred things, like, broken marriages, lost souls, orphaned children, and prodigal sons/daughters in the lives of others.... until it's us.

Nehemiah prays a beautiful prayer reminding God who He is and the covenant He has promised. He confesses the sins of His people and begs God to hear his prayer.

According to the timeline of the Hebrew months, about 4 mos. pass by after Nehemiah prays. The King notices that Nehemiah is sad. Nehemiah is rightfully afraid as it was expected for those in the King's presence to enjoy the King's company. But God is with Nehemiah. Nehemiah boldly asks detailed permission to go to his homeland that is in ruins so that he could rebuild it.

A couple things stand out to me in these 8 verses. One is that Nehemiah waited on God. He did not force a plan in his timing for how to "fix the problem" the remnant faced and the condition of Jerusalem. It was after 4 mos. that the King noticed Nehemiah's sadness. The text says Nehemiah declares he was never sad in his presence. My conclusion is that it must have been God that made the King aware, thus it was God's timing. Another good example by Nehemiah... waiting on God to hear our cries.

The second observation is that Nehemiah cared enough to say something when the appointed time came. He cared enough for his people and his city to ask a question that put Nehemiah in danger. Nehemiah was afraid but he asked anyway. He prayed to the Lord and the good hand of God came on him. He asked to return and rebuild the city of his people.

Most of us are not typically in a place where caring about someone or doing the Lord's will would put us in physical danger. But many of us face fears of another sort... pride, security, loss. Do we care enough to overcome fear? Do we care enough to seize the moment that God brings about and obey?

Nehemiah cared. He cared enough to weep, mourn, pray, speak up and enough to go. Yep, the next section of chapter 2 is Nehemiah GOING!

Wow... I think I'll be able to chew on these truths in the Word for a few days. If you haven't read these first sections of Nehemiah yet, think about ... the situation, how Nehemiah related to God, and what was Nehemiah's example? And if you want to go deeper, check out Precepts Bible study methods and some commentaries(like Wiersbe)... that's what I used as I studied : ) I have to conclude with a poignant excerpt from Wiersbe's commentary on Nehemiah...

God is still looking for people who care, people like Nehemiah, who cared enough to ask for the facts, weep over the needs, pray for God’s help, and then volunteer to get the job done.

“Here am I, Lord—send me!”

Thanks for reading with me. I love the accountability and I would love to hear any insights God shares with you too!

Joy amidst the ruins

I recently have been drawn to the book of Nehemiah. A favorite verse and known by so many has been echoing in my heart..."for the joy of the LORD is your strength"(Neh. 8:10). This verse has taken on new meaning in my life recently and I look forward to some in-depth study and insights that the Spirit will be sure to reveal(because I have a God that promises if you seek Him, you will indeed find Him).

First observations of this verse are that God holds true to His character. The people of Israel are not told that the joy of the Lord is their strength during a time of great happiness and prosperity but rather a time of great grief and sorrow. This intrigues me....

Would you be willing to study Nehemiah with me over the next few weeks and together let's see what the Lord would have His children learn? I hope you do and I look forward to posting Truths that He teaches me over the next few weeks. May the joy of the Lord be your strength!!