Getting Started with Nehemiah

Restarting my blog after a number of years has been a difficult thing to do. Its always been out on the web, but a place I just never go. Earlier this year, I did a study in the Gospels just before Easter. I also wrote a complementary devotion and study to go along with it. Many of the individuals participating did not want it to end. However, trying to keep up with writing a daily devotional for 30 days was hard to keep up. But lately I have been feeling the urge to begin again, just not on the grand scale I was keeping up before. So, here I am. A little different format, but I will keep up at least once a week. I have been reading preaching and teaching a study in the book of Nehemiah. He is one of the greats when it comes to leadership in both the Bible and the world. It has been a good number of years since I last did any teaching out of Nehemiah, and I have gained much insight in the present study. One of the amazing things I don't think I picked up on before was Nehemiah was not a church leader. He was a normal business guy doing a job for the king. Minding his own business, when someone called on him. At this point in the book, it was not God who called on him personally. It was a few of his countrymen who brought a problem to Nehemiah. Whether or not he could do anything didn't seem to be the question. The Scripture says when Nehemiah heard the report of how terrible his homeland was falling apart, he sat down and wept, mourned, and fasted (Nehemiah 1:4). He did not stop there. The next step was to take it to the LORD in prayer. I am teaching about Nehemiah the man of prayer and perseverance. This is what defined him as a leader and should define us as followers of Christ. Many times in his own teaching, Jesus told his followers to persevere and stand up under trials and difficulties. My favorite of these passages is John 16:33: "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." There is so much more the book of Nehemiah will tell us, but most importantly to take everything to the LORD in prayer first. I guess to follow prayer, is to wait expectantly for an answer. We have to keep in mind the answer is sometimes yes, sometimes no, and many times wait. There are other answers, but for me the hardest is the waiting.