Learning From Their Life: Nehemiah
By: Kristen L. McNulty
Reprint rights available on request. Email the author at kristenmcnulty@hotmail.com.
This devotional is part of a new series we are doing where we shine the spotlight on the life of a believer in the Bible and try to learn from their lives. Both the high points and the low points, both the struggles and the triumphs. This week we're examining the life of Nehemiah.
While we don't know many details about his younger days, Nehemiah was born and raised in Babylon. Years earlier in 597 B.C.E. the nation of Babylon had conquered Jerusalem and deported the king of Judah, his family and thousands of captives to Babylon. Multiple deportations took place over the years and eventually the Temple was destroyed by the Babylonians and Jerusalem was in disrepair. Psalm 137:1-2 captures what it was like for the Jewish people who were exiled. It says:
"Beside the rivers of Babylon, we sat and wept
as we thought of Jerusalem.
We put away our harps,
hanging them on the branches of poplar trees.
For our captors demanded a song from us.
Our tormentors insisted on a joyful hymn:
'Sing us one of those songs of Jerusalem!'
But how can we sing the songs of the Lord
while in a pagan land?." Psalm 137:1-2
NEHEMIAH TOOK RESPONSIBILITY
It was in this pagan land that Nehemiah resided in. He served as a cupbearer to the king who ruled over Persia. One day Nehemiah is speaking with some people about the state of Jerusalem and he is broken over what he learns, all about a city he had never been too, but knew of its tremendous value both to his people and to his faith. The walls of Jerusalem had been destroyed and the people left in the city were vulnerable to attack from their enemies. Instead of feeling helpless, Nehemiah took action by going to God in prayer. Nehemiah prayed and fasted and poured his heart out to God. Instead of blaming someone else for what happened, Nehemiah asked God to forgive him and his family for all the ways they had sinned. Let's listen in on his prayer in Nehemiah 1:5-7
"O Lord, God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps his covenant of unfailing love with those who love him and obey his commands, listen to my prayer! Look down and see me praying night and day for your people Israel. I confess that we have sinned against you. Yes, even my own family and I have sinned! We have sinned terribly by not obeying the commands, decrees, and regulations that you gave us through your servant Moses." Nehemiah 1:5-7
From Nehemiah we can learn what our prayer lives should look like. Instead of constantly pointing the fingers at others for the state of our lives or the world, we should first and foremost always come to God with a heart of humble repentance, asking for forgiveness for our sins and taking responsibility for all the ways we have fallen short. Prayer should be the time between us and God when we stop pointing fingers and instead look in the mirror. When we do so, we pray in the same way we were shown in the parable of the pharisee and the tax collector when Jesus said, as recorded in Luke 18:14:
"For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” Luke 18:14
NEHEMIAH TOOK ACTION
From Nehemiah we learn that our first response to any problem or situation should be to go on our knees, but from Nehemiah we also learn that there is a time to get up off of our knees and take action. Instead of just grieving for the state of the city of Jerusalem, Nehemiah took action. He didn't leave the job of rebuilding Jerusalem to someone else, he himself took the initiative. He approached the king and asked for permission to travel to Jerusalem and when he was granted permission, even though the journey would be dangerous and there were a lot of unknowns he was sure to encounter along the way, Nehemiah took a step of faith and uprooted his comfortable life in Babylon for an uncertain life in Jerusalem.
NEHEMIAH DIDN'T STOP OR GIVE UP
After arriving in Jerusalem, Nehemiah didn't take a vacation, instead he got to work right away inspecting the state of the walls and then he rallied the people of Jerusalem to join him in rebuilding the walls. Sure enough in just 52 days the walls around the city were rebuilt, but even more importantly, through the process God used Nehemiah to lead the people of Jerusalem to turn their hearts back to God. Nehemiah's life shows us how when we take a step of faith, God doesn't leave us there hanging alone with no help or direction. No when we follow Jesus where He leads us, He goes with us every single step of the way. If you are feeling right now called to take a big step of faith, learn from Nehemiah and don't be afraid to take the first step, knowing and trusting you won't walk through this journey alone. God is going to meet you in that place and send you what you need to get the job done. Whether that's starting a new ministry, moving onto the mission field, evangelizing in your community or ministering to the homeless. Where God calls us, He meets us and in that place you will encounter His faithfulness in a way you might not have otherwise experienced.
Let us follow the example of Nehemiah and be a people who are on our knees and a people who then get up and are willing to go wherever God calls and and to do whatever task God has assigned for us. And then when we undertake that assignment, let us not give up until the job is done. When Nehemiah built the wall he didn't build it without obstacles and even oppression along the way, but he didn't give up and look at what happened! If God can use Nehemiah to lead the people to build a wall around an entire city in 52 days, all in an era without power tools, imagine what He can do in your life and mine?
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up.
Hebrews 12:1-3
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