verseoftheday

When evening shadows fell on the gates of Jerusalem before the Sabbath, I ordered the doors to be shut and not opened until the Sabbath was over. I stationed some of my own men at the gates so that no load could be brought in on the Sabbath day. Nehemiah 13:19 NIV Nehe had to take some radical steps to bring about change in the life of the city. Sometimes we need to take radical steps to protect our hearts, to bring about change in our lives. What do I need to lock the gates to? Where do I constantly trip up? Where do i need a Nehe in my life to shut the gates for me? Give some accountability? It may be really obvious...that big thing. Maybe that person who drags ne down... Or the subtle things...the putting myself first, the judging, putting others down, the gossip, greed...wanting... Or the internal...where i let my mind go... Things that hinder our relationship with God, stop us getting to church... There's going to be something we need to shut the gates of our heart...

Moreover...when I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah...neither I nor my brothers ate the food allotted to the governor. But the earlier governors...placed a heavy burden on the people... But out of reverence for God I did not act like that. Nehemiah 5:14-15 NIV Nehe didn't take his salary.  Even tho he was entitled to it. He'd already recognised that he had poorer & wealthier people in his team, and while God's rules helped ensure that they weren't exploited, he went further. Reading this chapter makes me uneasy about some aspects of our society, but Nehe is entirely consistent with Jesus and NT thinking...it's not about rules & "you must", but how you and I choose to live and operate and represent God and His values and love for people wherever we are. The responses we make. The leadership we show The way we choose to serve God and his people. #choose #loveGod #lovepeople

...They kept quiet, because they could find nothing to say... "We will give it back," they said. "And we will not demand anything more from them. We will do as you say..." Nehemiah 5:8, 12 NIV The wealthy were overcharging the poor. Their business practice was outside the principles God had laid down for his people. And when Nehe pointed that out, they immediately accepted that and changed what they were doing. They loved God more than their financial gain. This is one of the taboo areas in our faith communities... how we run businesses, how we make money. Are we exploiting anyone? Do we care enough about where our clothes are made? Those shoes? Who stitched them? A child labourer? Do I care if the coffee grower got a fair price? The people cried out and one person heard. One person responded. And change happened. What do I do when I hear the cry of injustice? #nehemiah #listen #lovepeople

They all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and stir up trouble against it. But we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat. Nehemiah 4:8-9 NIV They were half way thru the project and opposition was building. Their enemies could see that they were serious and might actually do what they'd set out to do. And the opposition ramped  up No longer just ridicule, but now serious plotting. They did 2 things: Prayed Posted a guard Maybe it's your church that is making progress, a ministry that's seeing good results, or that habit you're getting on top of, that spiritual discipline that is cementing in... Pray. Keep praying. And post a guard. What do we need to post a guard for? #nehemiah #pray #guardyourheart

I went to Jerusalem, and after staying there three days I set out during the night with a few others. I had not told anyone what my God had put in my heart to do for Jerusalem. There were no mounts with me except the one I was riding on. Nehemiah 2:11-12 NIV He'd had a report of the problem. God had called him to mission. Placed a desire in his heart to make a difference. Rather than jump in, make a lot of noise when he arrived, he went quietly to have a good look for himself. He didn't rush to judgement or action, flash his letters from the king, but quietly and humbly went to work How often have I just jumped in with a solution? I haven't taken the time to look, to listen...what was Nehe doing for 3 days in Jerusalem? My guess is he was asking questions... listening... #nehemiah #faithful #brave #thoughtful #patient

Then the king said to me, "What are you requesting?" So I prayed to the God of heaven. And I said to the king, "If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, that you send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers' graves, that I may rebuild it." Nehemiah 2:4-5 ESV Faithful and Brave. Nehe had been working for the king for ages... years... & praying about this for months - faithful. Suddenly the opportunity was in front of him - & what did he do? Prayed again. Faithful And then he jumped in. All in. Sometimes we need to be brave. Sticking our necks out. Taking a risk for what God has placed on our hearts. #nehemiah #faithful #brave

...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 ancestors 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... Nehemiah 2:2-4NIV The waiter doesn't get asked how things are in his life. The king doesn't need to be interested. Nehe is afraid as the king has complete power over his life. If he upsets the king his life could be over... So what does he do in the heat of the moment? When the pressure is on? He prays. #nehemiah #prayer #whentheheatison #pray

....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..." Nehemiah 2:1-2 NIV The king is one of, if not the, most powerful man in the world at the time. Yet he noticed something was wrong with one of his staff. What's up? How are you? How are you really? We like to wear a mask, to often hide how we really are, and in this moment Nehe let the mask slip and the king not only noticed but cared enough to check in... Do I care enough? When I notice things are not right? Am I prepared to not just ask the question but to keep walking with someone who has a sadness of heart? #lovepeople

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... Nehemiah 2:1-2 NIV The cup bearer was not supposed to be unhappy. Just being in the presence of the king you should be happy. As his heart condition was  showing on his face he was afraid of the king's reaction... We however can approach the King of Kings with any hurt or fear or request in any state because we are not employees of the King,  we're not judged on our performance, what we've done, whether we're good enough... we're children of the King - we come with no fear of rejection, no fear of being turned away or loss of status or anything... #childrenofGod #dearlyloved #nofear

I was cupbearer to the king. Nehemiah 1:11 NIV He's a waiter. Although privy to a lot of secrets and talks of the rich and powerful...he's not rich and powerful. Yet there is no hint of "I'm just a cupbearer" Why? His heart had been broken for his people and he was talking to God about it. His job, his position in society wasn't a barrier or the way forward...it just was what it was. It's what broke his heart that was most important. So what breaks our hearts? What do we see or hear about that could or should make us cry before God about? #nehemiah #cupbearer #heartbroken

"...The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire" Nehemiah 1:3 NIV The gates let in people, produce, resources...and they let the same things out. So the city became a shambles - no restrictions... no filters on what came and went... And it's the same with us. When our walls have crumbled and our gates destroyed not only can anything or anyone invade and overrun us, but there's no filter on what comes out...our words that hurt, that cut, that damage... We need the gates of God's word to hold what we say and do in check. And the produce that goes out thru the gates of our hearts is the way of love. Patient Kind Keeps no record of wrongs... #nehemiah #rebuildthewalls #gates

They said to me, "Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down..." Nehemiah 1:3 NIV Walls are there to protect the city, the people on the inside so that they can thrive and flourish They are there to keep the enemies out...with the walls broken down there's no stopping those who would do harm to the city. Why are our lives a bit of a shambles sometimes? Could it be that we've let the walls to our hearts crumble? We just watch any movie, go to any internet site, let in anything...our validation coming from social media... We allow any thought to take root, to rattle around in our heads... Maybe we need to rebuild the defences to our minds and hearts. Walls can be good & useful things to protect those on the inside and allow them to really thrive. #nehemiah #rebuildthewalls

When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven. Nehemiah 1:4 NIV What is it with us today? Most of the time it's not even OK to cry let alone mourn for ages... Sometimes stuff hurts and it takes a long time and that's OK. If someone is worth loving they're worth crying over...if something is of real value to us then it hurts when we lose it...and in Nehemiah's case it was the hope and future of his people that seemed to be lost... Note tho that he didn't  turn away from God but poured out his heart TO Him. God can take our hurt, anguish, grief Nehemiah mourned and prayed and fasted for days... he gives us permission to take our time #nehemiah #mourn #itsok #itsnotweakitsreal