OT: Nehemiah 13
NT:
--------------------
Nehemiah 13:14 — Remember me for this, O my God, and do not blot out what I have so faithfully done for the house of my God and its services.
Do you have an accountability partner? Someone who watches out for you and holds you to a higher standard than you hold yourself? For some people, that partner is their spouse. For others it is a best friend. Still others have a pastor or teacher as an accountability partner. For Nehemiah, it was God. Three times in the final chapter of his memoirs, the godly governor calls on the Lord His God to remember the deeds he has done. What Nehemiah had done was execute justice in the land and govern with wisdom. He threw out the dirty rotten scoundrels from their places of power and rebuked the people who had intermarried with foreigners. For these zealous deeds, he pleaded for the Lord's notice. The Lord was to hold Nehemiah accountable for his actions.
We are all ultimately accountable to the Lord. God the Father is the Great Judge who will decide the fates of all who have drawn breath on this earth. For those found to be in Christ, eternal life and bliss awaits. For those who rejected Christ, eternal damnation is their destination. But what about the things we do in our day-to-day lives? Seeing God as an accountability partner can revolutionize the way you do things in the here and now. If you are doing things with the knowledge that God is watching you, wanting to help you, and correcting you when you go astray, you will start to do things for God. He will be the One you desire to please and, thus, you will do your acts of service with Him in mind. It's divine accountability.
Be God's.
Friday, October 31, 2008
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Honoring the Servants
OT: Nehemiah 11-12
NT: 1 Timothy 5:17-20
--------------
Nehemiah 12:44-47 — At that time men were appointed to be in charge of the storerooms for the contributions, firstfruits and tithes. From the fields around the towns they were to bring into the storerooms the portions required by the Law for the priests and the Levites, for Judah was pleased with the ministering priests and Levites. They performed the service of their God and the service of purification, as did also the singers and gatekeepers, according to the commands of David and his son Solomon. For long ago, in the days of David and Asaph, there had been directors for the singers and for the songs of praise and thanksgiving to God. So in the days of Zerubbabel and of Nehemiah, all Israel contributed the daily portions for the singers and gatekeepers. They also set aside the portion for the other Levites, and the Levites set aside the portion for the descendants of Aaron.
The Lord has always taken a liking to the servants of His. In the Law of Moses, rest was prescribed for the servants and a fairness given to their value. Under the New Covenant, the servants are those in the Church who humble themselves before the Lord and offer the work of their hands as ministry to their brothers and sisters. However, servants are often overlooked by people inside and outside of the Church. They don't complain (usually) and they don't cry out for attention. They just do their work of ministry as if they were serving the Lord (which they are).
Nehemiah made sure that the servants of the Lord that worked in and around the Temple were cared for. The Law provided for the priests and Levites and their families by giving to them a portion of the offerings of the people. In the days of Zerubbabel (a son of David) and Governor Nehemiah, even the singers and gatekeepers were beloved by the people are cared for with regular donations. And this is important even today in the Church when we consider our servants and our leaders (who should be by nature servants). If they are doing well, give them honor and thanksgiving. If they are not, exhort and encourage them to serve with a greater zeal. Look after their needs and those needs that may lie beneath the surface. Care for their families. And love on them.
Be God's.
Be God's.
NT: 1 Timothy 5:17-20
--------------
Nehemiah 12:44-47 — At that time men were appointed to be in charge of the storerooms for the contributions, firstfruits and tithes. From the fields around the towns they were to bring into the storerooms the portions required by the Law for the priests and the Levites, for Judah was pleased with the ministering priests and Levites. They performed the service of their God and the service of purification, as did also the singers and gatekeepers, according to the commands of David and his son Solomon. For long ago, in the days of David and Asaph, there had been directors for the singers and for the songs of praise and thanksgiving to God. So in the days of Zerubbabel and of Nehemiah, all Israel contributed the daily portions for the singers and gatekeepers. They also set aside the portion for the other Levites, and the Levites set aside the portion for the descendants of Aaron.
The Lord has always taken a liking to the servants of His. In the Law of Moses, rest was prescribed for the servants and a fairness given to their value. Under the New Covenant, the servants are those in the Church who humble themselves before the Lord and offer the work of their hands as ministry to their brothers and sisters. However, servants are often overlooked by people inside and outside of the Church. They don't complain (usually) and they don't cry out for attention. They just do their work of ministry as if they were serving the Lord (which they are).
Nehemiah made sure that the servants of the Lord that worked in and around the Temple were cared for. The Law provided for the priests and Levites and their families by giving to them a portion of the offerings of the people. In the days of Zerubbabel (a son of David) and Governor Nehemiah, even the singers and gatekeepers were beloved by the people are cared for with regular donations. And this is important even today in the Church when we consider our servants and our leaders (who should be by nature servants). If they are doing well, give them honor and thanksgiving. If they are not, exhort and encourage them to serve with a greater zeal. Look after their needs and those needs that may lie beneath the surface. Care for their families. And love on them.
Be God's.
Be God's.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
The Need for Review
OT: Nehemiah 9-10
NT: Acts 7
----------------
Nehemiah 9:5-7 — And the Levites said: “Stand up and praise the LORD your God, who is from everlasting to everlasting. Blessed be your glorious name, and may it be exalted above all blessing and praise. You alone are the LORD. You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship you. You are the LORD God, who chose Abram and brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans and named him Abraham. You found his heart faithful to you, and you made a covenant with him to give to his descendants the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Jebusites and Girgashites. You have kept your promise because you are righteous."
I love church history. But I know of some who find it to be rather uninteresting. I love to study about the saints of old, about Clement, Polycarp, Athanasius, Augustine and Francis. Of Benedict and Boniface, of Patrick and Luther, Calvin and Zwingli. All of these men made monumental impacts in the history of the church. There were many women, like Theresa of Avila, who did the same. There were theological controversies and councils, movements and revolutions, mistakes and splits. The Church of God has been through a lot over the last 2,000 years and what she has experienced has shaped her into what she is today. There were lessons to be learned, mistakes to avoid, and patterns to be followed. Above all, what has happened over the past 2,000 years has had impact on where the church is presently and where it may go in the future.
Let's step back 2,500 years to the time of 500-480 B.C. Governor Nehemiah has just led a remarkable rebuilding project to reconstruct the walls of Jerusalem and, along with Ezra the priest, has led the nation of Israel back into covenant with God. The festivals have been celebrated once again and the people are ready to make the holy sacrifice of Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. But before they make that sacrifice, the Levites speak up in the assembly of Israel and remind the people of where they were 2,000 years ago. And they recount for them the journey the Lord has brought the nation on for the past 2,000 years. They recounted the stories of saints of old, like Abraham, Moses and Joshua. About God's faithfulness and Israel's disobedience. About the just exile and the present enslavement to the kings of Persia. They look back and review for the sake of looking ahead. Do not follow the mistakes of the past, they said, because those mistakes got us in trouble with God and our neighbors. Rest in God's faithfulness from this day forward and keep His Law. With the past in mind, the elders of Jerusalem, the Levites and the priests signed their names to a renewed Mosaic Covenant with God. Their future would include this Law and the God who gave it. No more were they to roam like those in the past. Israel had one God. And this time they were sticking to it.
Be God's.
Be God's.
NT: Acts 7
----------------
Nehemiah 9:5-7 — And the Levites said: “Stand up and praise the LORD your God, who is from everlasting to everlasting. Blessed be your glorious name, and may it be exalted above all blessing and praise. You alone are the LORD. You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship you. You are the LORD God, who chose Abram and brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans and named him Abraham. You found his heart faithful to you, and you made a covenant with him to give to his descendants the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Jebusites and Girgashites. You have kept your promise because you are righteous."
I love church history. But I know of some who find it to be rather uninteresting. I love to study about the saints of old, about Clement, Polycarp, Athanasius, Augustine and Francis. Of Benedict and Boniface, of Patrick and Luther, Calvin and Zwingli. All of these men made monumental impacts in the history of the church. There were many women, like Theresa of Avila, who did the same. There were theological controversies and councils, movements and revolutions, mistakes and splits. The Church of God has been through a lot over the last 2,000 years and what she has experienced has shaped her into what she is today. There were lessons to be learned, mistakes to avoid, and patterns to be followed. Above all, what has happened over the past 2,000 years has had impact on where the church is presently and where it may go in the future.
Let's step back 2,500 years to the time of 500-480 B.C. Governor Nehemiah has just led a remarkable rebuilding project to reconstruct the walls of Jerusalem and, along with Ezra the priest, has led the nation of Israel back into covenant with God. The festivals have been celebrated once again and the people are ready to make the holy sacrifice of Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. But before they make that sacrifice, the Levites speak up in the assembly of Israel and remind the people of where they were 2,000 years ago. And they recount for them the journey the Lord has brought the nation on for the past 2,000 years. They recounted the stories of saints of old, like Abraham, Moses and Joshua. About God's faithfulness and Israel's disobedience. About the just exile and the present enslavement to the kings of Persia. They look back and review for the sake of looking ahead. Do not follow the mistakes of the past, they said, because those mistakes got us in trouble with God and our neighbors. Rest in God's faithfulness from this day forward and keep His Law. With the past in mind, the elders of Jerusalem, the Levites and the priests signed their names to a renewed Mosaic Covenant with God. Their future would include this Law and the God who gave it. No more were they to roam like those in the past. Israel had one God. And this time they were sticking to it.
Be God's.
Be God's.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
The Importance of Clarity
OT: Nehemiah 7-8
NT: Romans 10:5-17
----------------
Nehemiah 7:73, 8:1-3, 7-8 — When the seventh month came and the Israelites had settled in their towns, all the people assembled as one man in the square before the Water Gate. They told Ezra the scribe to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses, which the LORD had commanded for Israel. So on the first day of the seventh month Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly, which was made up of men and women and all who were able to understand. He read it aloud from daybreak till noon as he faced the square before the Water Gate in the presence of the men, women and others who could understand. And all the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law. The Levites ... instructed the people in the Law while the people were standing there. They read from the Book of the Law of God, making it clear and giving the meaning so that the people could understand what was being read.
Have you ever felt like you were speaking into dead air, or as if there was a huge expanse of water between your mouth and the closest set of ears? How did that failure to communicate make you feel? When it came to the Law of Moses, it was easy for the people of Israel to fail to understand what all the rules and regulations meant. I mean, when was the last time you read through a legal or tax code and understood it perfectly? One of the first things Nehemiah did after the walls of Jerusalem were completed was to assemble the nation at the great city for the taking of a census and for a renewing of the Mosaic Covenant. It was important for the reassembled remnant of Israel to get off to an organized start after 70 years of exile and a few decades of resettling in the land. An organized start required two things: a census and a religious revival. So Nehemiah had Ezra the high priest read the Law of Moses for the people and then they ratified it.
This was no ordinary congregational activity. Ezra stood on a high platform above the thousands gathered at the temple and read the Law out loud. Levites were stationed at intervals to repeat what Ezra read tot he people. Consider it public address 101 for the ancient world. But the Levites did not just read word-for-word. No, they knew that this was the best opportunity to drive home what the Law meant. And so expository preaching was born. The Levites clarified (not changed) the Law so that the people understood it. They acted as official interpretors and brought clarity to the message Ezra read. You know, sometimes it is easy for believers to get caught up in speaking "churchese" or using biblical terminology in trying to teach or witness. In the process of using such jargon, we can easily confuse our audience. What is needed is clarity, for an explanation of the message, so that our hearers can better grasp the meaning. Clarity means everything when sharing the Gospel. The fewer stumbling blocks we place in the path of the hearer, the better response we will get.
Be God's.
NT: Romans 10:5-17
----------------
Nehemiah 7:73, 8:1-3, 7-8 — When the seventh month came and the Israelites had settled in their towns, all the people assembled as one man in the square before the Water Gate. They told Ezra the scribe to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses, which the LORD had commanded for Israel. So on the first day of the seventh month Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly, which was made up of men and women and all who were able to understand. He read it aloud from daybreak till noon as he faced the square before the Water Gate in the presence of the men, women and others who could understand. And all the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law. The Levites ... instructed the people in the Law while the people were standing there. They read from the Book of the Law of God, making it clear and giving the meaning so that the people could understand what was being read.
Have you ever felt like you were speaking into dead air, or as if there was a huge expanse of water between your mouth and the closest set of ears? How did that failure to communicate make you feel? When it came to the Law of Moses, it was easy for the people of Israel to fail to understand what all the rules and regulations meant. I mean, when was the last time you read through a legal or tax code and understood it perfectly? One of the first things Nehemiah did after the walls of Jerusalem were completed was to assemble the nation at the great city for the taking of a census and for a renewing of the Mosaic Covenant. It was important for the reassembled remnant of Israel to get off to an organized start after 70 years of exile and a few decades of resettling in the land. An organized start required two things: a census and a religious revival. So Nehemiah had Ezra the high priest read the Law of Moses for the people and then they ratified it.
This was no ordinary congregational activity. Ezra stood on a high platform above the thousands gathered at the temple and read the Law out loud. Levites were stationed at intervals to repeat what Ezra read tot he people. Consider it public address 101 for the ancient world. But the Levites did not just read word-for-word. No, they knew that this was the best opportunity to drive home what the Law meant. And so expository preaching was born. The Levites clarified (not changed) the Law so that the people understood it. They acted as official interpretors and brought clarity to the message Ezra read. You know, sometimes it is easy for believers to get caught up in speaking "churchese" or using biblical terminology in trying to teach or witness. In the process of using such jargon, we can easily confuse our audience. What is needed is clarity, for an explanation of the message, so that our hearers can better grasp the meaning. Clarity means everything when sharing the Gospel. The fewer stumbling blocks we place in the path of the hearer, the better response we will get.
Be God's.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Rejecting What is False
The tomb of Tobiad and his family in modern day Jordan.OT: Nehemiah 6
NT: Matthew 26:57-66
---------------------
Nehemiah 6:2-9 — Sanballat and Geshem sent me this message: “Come, let us meet together in one of the villages on the plain of Ono.” But they were scheming to harm me; so I sent messengers to them with this reply: “I am carrying on a great project and cannot go down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and go down to you?” Four times they sent me the same message, and each time I gave them the same answer. Then, the fifth time, Sanballat sent his aide to me with the same message, and in his hand was an unsealed letter in which was written: “It is reported among the nations — and Geshem says it is true — that you and the Jews are plotting to revolt, and therefore you are building the wall. Moreover, according to these reports you are about to become their king and have even appointed prophets to make this proclamation about you in Jerusalem: ‘There is a king in Judah!’ Now this report will get back to the king; so come, let us confer together.” I sent him this reply: “Nothing like what you are saying is happening; you are just making it up out of your head.” They were all trying to frighten us, thinking, “Their hands will get too weak for the work, and it will not be completed.” [But I prayed,] “Now strengthen my hands.”
There's nothing like hearsay to drive a heart to fear. Nothing like a false rumor to cause the noblest of men to panic. Yet, when Tobiad, Geshem and Sanballat threatened to spread a false rumor about Nehemiah around the ancient world, the great governor of Judah responded in prayer and not fear. He was bold in rejecting what was false. And he let the Lord His God be his defender from false rumors and the tongues of his enemies.
How often we choose to fight fire with fire instead of fighting fire with prayer! How often we open our mouths and say something that destroys our reputations -- that crushes our witness -- instead of responding in confident faith! Nehemiah knew what was true. He knew that he had no ambitions to claim the throne of Judah. He knew that revolt was last on the minds of the elders of Israel. But he also knew that a rumor of those things might jeopardize the safety and security of his struggling nation. So what was his response: prayer. God stands above space and time and has the ability to work things out for His people. So all he needed to do -- and we need to do -- is trust Him. Rumors come and rumors go. I dare say that most are probably either false or blown out of proportion. Trust what you know to be true. And let the God of Truth work out the details.
Be God's.
Saturday, October 25, 2008
The Thing About Responsibility...
OT: Nehemiah 3-5
NT:
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Nehemiah 5:14-16, 19 — Moreover, from the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, until his thirty-second year — twelve years — neither I nor my brothers ate the food allotted to the governor. But the earlier governors — those preceding me — placed a heavy burden on the people and took forty shekels of silver from them in addition to food and wine. Their assistants also lorded it over the people. But out of reverence for God I did not act like that. Instead, I devoted myself to the work on this wall. All my men were assembled there for the work; we did not acquire any land... Remember me with favor, O my God, for all I have done for these people.
I can't tell you how much the story of Nehemiah speaks to me, from his humble beginnings as a cupbearer to King Xerxes to his great leadership as governor of Israel. Throughout his life, Nehemiah proved himself to be a man of faith, a man of prayer, and a man of action. His wisdom went well beyond his humble background. And his sense of responsibility can be seen in every decision he made. Indeed, I think Nehemiah displayed a greater sense of self responsibility than most Old Testament leaders. Here, in chapters 3-5 of the book that bears his name, Nehemiah oversees the construction of Jerusalem's walls. His plan of construction can only be described as "brilliant." He had each family or family group build the part of the wall closest to their home. In doing so, each family took upon itself extra responsibility for construction. After all, what man wouldn't want to keep his family safe? When opposition arose from outside parties, Nehemiah set up guard duty on the wall and then calmed the people down, reminding them of the protecting arm of the Lord.
Indeed, responsibility is a mighty thing. Nehemiah knew that his responsibility as a leader was to organize the people wisely and to keep them focused on the Lord. It's still the same way with God's chosen leaders today. Pastors and directors must take command of their responsibility to organize widely and exhort their charges to stay focused on the Lord. They must always be alert and always anticipate obstacles before those obstacles appear on the horizon. In other words, responsibility involves action above reaction. Proactivity above passivity. Pray for your leaders. Submit to them when they are following the will of God. And encourage them as they exercise their God-given responsibility.
Be God's.
NT:
-----------------
Nehemiah 5:14-16, 19 — Moreover, from the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, until his thirty-second year — twelve years — neither I nor my brothers ate the food allotted to the governor. But the earlier governors — those preceding me — placed a heavy burden on the people and took forty shekels of silver from them in addition to food and wine. Their assistants also lorded it over the people. But out of reverence for God I did not act like that. Instead, I devoted myself to the work on this wall. All my men were assembled there for the work; we did not acquire any land... Remember me with favor, O my God, for all I have done for these people.
I can't tell you how much the story of Nehemiah speaks to me, from his humble beginnings as a cupbearer to King Xerxes to his great leadership as governor of Israel. Throughout his life, Nehemiah proved himself to be a man of faith, a man of prayer, and a man of action. His wisdom went well beyond his humble background. And his sense of responsibility can be seen in every decision he made. Indeed, I think Nehemiah displayed a greater sense of self responsibility than most Old Testament leaders. Here, in chapters 3-5 of the book that bears his name, Nehemiah oversees the construction of Jerusalem's walls. His plan of construction can only be described as "brilliant." He had each family or family group build the part of the wall closest to their home. In doing so, each family took upon itself extra responsibility for construction. After all, what man wouldn't want to keep his family safe? When opposition arose from outside parties, Nehemiah set up guard duty on the wall and then calmed the people down, reminding them of the protecting arm of the Lord.
Indeed, responsibility is a mighty thing. Nehemiah knew that his responsibility as a leader was to organize the people wisely and to keep them focused on the Lord. It's still the same way with God's chosen leaders today. Pastors and directors must take command of their responsibility to organize widely and exhort their charges to stay focused on the Lord. They must always be alert and always anticipate obstacles before those obstacles appear on the horizon. In other words, responsibility involves action above reaction. Proactivity above passivity. Pray for your leaders. Submit to them when they are following the will of God. And encourage them as they exercise their God-given responsibility.
Be God's.
Friday, October 24, 2008
Shotgun Prayers
OT: Nehemiah 2
NT: Acts 7:32-38
---------------
Nehemiah 2:1-5 — In the month of Nisan in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was brought for him, I took the wine and gave it to the king. I had not been sad in his presence before; so the king asked me, “Why does your face look so sad when you are not ill? This can be nothing but sadness of heart.” I was very much afraid, but I said to the king, “May the king live forever! Why should my face not look sad when the city where my fathers are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?” The king said to me, “What is it you want?” Then I prayed to the God of heaven, and I answered the king, “If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favor in his sight, let him send me to the city in Judah where my fathers are buried so that I can rebuild it."
Not all prayers have to be eloquent. Not all take deep thought and meaningful time. In fact, some of the greatest prayers in history have come spur of the moment and been brief -- very brief. Just looking at the Bible, you see Stephen, the good deacon, who in Acts 7 lifted his eyes towards heaven as he was being stoned and said all of 12 words. Nehemiah, here in today's selection, probably didn;t even have time for three words, let alone 12! The king of Persia, Artaxerxes, with his queen at his side (perhaps Esther) had asked the cupbearer why he was downcast. Nehemiah answered truthfully, "My ancestral city of Jerusalem lies in ruins with no gates." Most of us would answer, "Nothing. I'm fine," just to avoid a conversation. But Nehemiah has a solid relationship with the great king. The king then asks Nehemiah the type of question that usually leads to "shotgun prayers." He asked, "What do you want?"
Here's the thing about shotgun prayers. They are never planned, never long, and never dishonest. They are moments in time in which your heart immediately calls on God for help or responds to Him in praise. Many times they come right before a important conversation -- or before an important answer. Nehemiah had to say a quick one because when the king asks a question, it's best to not delay in answering him! So Nehemiah answered with boldness: I want to go to Jerusalem and rebuild the walls. A bold request, indeed! He was asking to be released from his position as the king's most trusted servant to travel to a foreign land and fortify a foreign capital! Xerxes must have really bonded with Nehemiah, because the great king let him go with a royal blessing and with political authority. All it took was a shotgun prayer to give Nehemiah the boldness to ask for what he gladly received. If it helped Nehemiah to turn to the Lord in an instant, what's keeping you and me from doing the same?
Be God's.
NT: Acts 7:32-38
---------------
Nehemiah 2:1-5 — In the month of Nisan in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was brought for him, I took the wine and gave it to the king. I had not been sad in his presence before; so the king asked me, “Why does your face look so sad when you are not ill? This can be nothing but sadness of heart.” I was very much afraid, but I said to the king, “May the king live forever! Why should my face not look sad when the city where my fathers are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?” The king said to me, “What is it you want?” Then I prayed to the God of heaven, and I answered the king, “If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favor in his sight, let him send me to the city in Judah where my fathers are buried so that I can rebuild it."
Not all prayers have to be eloquent. Not all take deep thought and meaningful time. In fact, some of the greatest prayers in history have come spur of the moment and been brief -- very brief. Just looking at the Bible, you see Stephen, the good deacon, who in Acts 7 lifted his eyes towards heaven as he was being stoned and said all of 12 words. Nehemiah, here in today's selection, probably didn;t even have time for three words, let alone 12! The king of Persia, Artaxerxes, with his queen at his side (perhaps Esther) had asked the cupbearer why he was downcast. Nehemiah answered truthfully, "My ancestral city of Jerusalem lies in ruins with no gates." Most of us would answer, "Nothing. I'm fine," just to avoid a conversation. But Nehemiah has a solid relationship with the great king. The king then asks Nehemiah the type of question that usually leads to "shotgun prayers." He asked, "What do you want?"
Here's the thing about shotgun prayers. They are never planned, never long, and never dishonest. They are moments in time in which your heart immediately calls on God for help or responds to Him in praise. Many times they come right before a important conversation -- or before an important answer. Nehemiah had to say a quick one because when the king asks a question, it's best to not delay in answering him! So Nehemiah answered with boldness: I want to go to Jerusalem and rebuild the walls. A bold request, indeed! He was asking to be released from his position as the king's most trusted servant to travel to a foreign land and fortify a foreign capital! Xerxes must have really bonded with Nehemiah, because the great king let him go with a royal blessing and with political authority. All it took was a shotgun prayer to give Nehemiah the boldness to ask for what he gladly received. If it helped Nehemiah to turn to the Lord in an instant, what's keeping you and me from doing the same?
Be God's.
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