Welcome!
Today: The “C”s of Nehemiah
Passage: Neh 1 ( NIV 84 )
4 When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven. 5 Then I said:“O Lord, God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and obey his commands, 6 let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel. I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father’s house, have committed against you. 7 We have acted very wickedly toward you. We have not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws you gave your servant Moses. (Neh 1, NIV)-emphasis added
Nehemiah: Concern, Confession, Compassion, Commitment and Courage
Nehemiah was concerned about the condition of the walls ofJerusalem
Many people are not able to see the actual situation of their own life or of their family/church. It is important to get the true picture of the situation and cry to God, instead of assuming that evrything is O.K. When Jesus came to the temple, he was very upset about what was going on there, but the people were happy and even proud of their temple. Same is the situation with many or most of our churches!
However, there are some who understand the actual situation and are concerned about it. Out of concern comes a cry and a confession
Nehemiah confesses the sins of the people and even that of former generations!
That takes humility and the spiritual insight. He knew there was sin in the people
Instead of blaming others for their sins, he confessed; have we ever done that?
If children do something bad, parents sometimes confess to others for that
Nehemiah had a compassion for He was selfless and humble
Nehemiah was committed, whether it was at his job or with the things of God
Commitment was in his blood. Whatever he did, he was committed to it
You can count on Nehemiah; we rarely see such people today
Are we committed to everything we do, or are we careless?
Nehemiah was bold; he was courageous. He knew what he was doing
He did not care what others would think or do. He would just do it!
All these elements- Concern, Confession, Compassion, Commitment, Courage are missing among us today
If someone has these qualities, and they go ahead with it, there will be “Sanballats and Tobiahs” who oppose such people. “Politicians” are everywhere, who make the committed ones look like an ant. In the secular world and in the spiritual, there are people with selfish and special motives, who stand against the committed ones
In the end, “Nehemiahs” and their work will stand up.
Have a blessed day; be a “Nehemiah”; don’t try to compromise!
BG
Prayer: Father God, I thank you for your great work and for your concern, compassion, commitment and courage. Help me to have these qualities, even as I face those with “special” interests and selfish motives. In the name of Jesus, Amen
When we see the “hole” in the ship and do nothing about it, we sink along with others!