Joy and Strength (Christian life and music)

Continuing my study of Nehemiah, we learned that he finished the physical labor of building the wall around Jerusalem.  But wait, there's more! Once his work was done, there was the work of maintaining what he had built. Isn't that just like our lives?  We think we have "arrived" in some area, finished a task, only to find that it isn't really over.  And though the building process is difficult and wrought with challenges, maintenance brings its own set of issues. We cannot rest on our laurels, as tempting as it may be.  There is always  some more work to do.   In chapter 8, we read that Ezra read God's Word to God's people.  There was much rejoicing and worshiping.  However, there was also weeping and grieving. It does not say why the Jews were weeping, just that they did so while hearing God's Word read aloud to them. "For all the people had been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law." Nehemiah 8:9 My guess is that they were conv

We learn in chapter 5 of Nehemiah that the government was overtaxing the Jews.  Nehemiah's response to this had various stages. First, he was angry.  Then he thought about it. Let's pause here.  How many of us give in to anger over injustice only to "live" there instead of regrouping and giving it thought?  Do we tend to let our emotions get the best of us?  Or do we move on into rational thought instead?  It's hard to do sometimes, but very possible! Nehemiah's response after he gave it some thought was to confront the powers that be over their misdeeds.  He told them flat out that they were taking advantage of his people.  He said directly, "The thing that you are doing is not good." (v 9)  That took guts! Then, Nehemiah told the governor to fear God and restore to the Jews everything they had stolen from them. It's like they needed to be told, like children, right from wrong, and how to rectify their wrongdoing.  And they listened and did what

Every good story has a protagonist (the hero) and an antagonist (the bad guy).  Sometimes, there are several "bad guys," many different groups of people that come against the hero or heroine.   As we read on in Nehemiah, we don't have to read too far into it to come upon Nehemiah's opposition.   Chapter three lists all of the workers and their various jobs in simply repairing the wall.  They haven't even started the rebuilding process yet. Then, in chapter four, the fun begins!  We read about all the ways the Jews' enemies try to thwart their work.   4:2 The opposition belittled the Jews' work. 4:3 They were sarcastic toward them. 4:5 They demoralized them. But then, after Nehemiah cried out to the Lord to save them from their enemies, for the Lord to bring them down instead of letting their enemies bring them down, we see... 4:6 The Jews continued their work and started rebuilding the wall, after repairing it. 4:6  This angered their enemies because their

I just started a Bible study on the book of Nehemiah.  Here's what I've learned so far from chapter one, and the first few verses from chapter two. Nehemiah had a mission from God.  He was to rebuild the the walls of Jerusalem. It was quite a job ahead of him.  He knew he was going to need help from the powers that be.  He needed to ask for King Artaxerxes' help. Before he approached the king, Nehemiah did a few things first. First, he mourned, wept, prayed, and fasted before God. He reminded God of God's faithfulness, His promises to His chosen people that He gave through Moses, and His covenant with them.   Nehemiah knew God, God's character, God's history with His people, the Jews.  Nehemiah confessed the great sins of his people as well as confessed his own sins before God.  Nehemiah was part of the problem.  Now, God was going to use him to bring about His solution. God chooses whom He chooses.  God knew Nehemiah's heart.  God knows all of our hearts.