Jesus tells us in Scripture that His return is certain, He is coming back. He is coming back for His bride, the church. The only drawback is, He doesn’t tell us when that will occur. So, Jesus gives us a warning to “take heed, watch and pray; lest, coming suddenly, he find (us) sleeping.” (Mk.13:33a, 36 nkjv)
Whenever there is an upcoming event in our lives, we get excited, perhaps counting the months, weeks, and days. We have a date we can focus on for any preparation needed to be done beforehand. The excitement builds with anticipation of that coming day. For all intents and purposes, the event usually occurs, but there is always a chance that it doesn’t come off or something goes wrong. Anticipation that had been building suddenly falls flat with our disappointment.
The greatest future event you and I will ever have will be the return of Jesus Christ. It will be an event that will not fall flat. We should be anxiously anticipating His return as we follow Jesus’ words to watch and pray. Jesus gives us an illustration of this in the gospel of Mark, “It is like a man going to a far country, who left his house and gave authority to his servants, and to each his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to watch.” (13:34 nkjv) The Lord has given us work to do in His absence which we are to be engaged in. He also commands us to keep watch for His return for we do not know when it will be.
Keeping watch for Jesus’ return is a hard thing to do with our busy lives. Even in our quiet moments we could lose sight of this glorious upcoming event. That is why Jesus tells us to ‘watch and pray.’ Temptations and the activities of the world will dull our senses in the things of God. Jesus had to reprimand His disciples in the garden, “Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Mk.14:38 nkjv)
We must keep our hearts and minds on Christ and His return. Distractions and temptations are part of this world we live in, that is why we must watch and pray with anticipation for Jesus’ return.
“The people responded, ‘In view of all this, we are making a solemn promise and putting it in writing. On this sealed document are the names of our leaders and Levites and priests.’ The document was ratified and sealed with the following names: The governor: Nehemiah son of Hacaliah, and also Zedekiah.” Nehemiah 9:38-10:1 NLT
The walls and gates around Jerusalem were completed, the enemies of the Jews have backed off, the city has been repopulated, worship was restored, and the festivals commanded by the Lord were taking place, but there was some unfinished business to take care of. The people were deeply convicted of their sin as we learned last week in chapter 8, but there was no formal acknowledgement and confession. Nehemiah chapter 9 opens with, “On October 31 the people assembled again, and this time they fasted and dressed in burlap and sprinkled dust on their heads.” (Neh.9:1 nlt) Christians at times resemble the Jews here in Nehemiah. We are convicted of sin but continue to go along without dealing with it or we just go through the motions hoping that feeling will go away. It needs to be dealt with, and the people of Israel understood this and the leaders to action in leading them.
The Levites led the reading of God’s Word for three hours followed by three hours of confessing their sins and worshiping God. Confession of sin is an act of worship to a holy God, praising Him, as we confess, for His forgiveness and restoring us as if we have never sinned. Coming before Him with the right attitude, humbling ourselves is a manner of worship. The Jews had fasted beforehand and covered themselves with dust dressing in burlap. They had shown their distress over their sin. We don’t need to go that far today, but that same attitude can and should be expressed through prayer and fasting.
The Jews separated themselves from all foreigners as they confessed their sins, which was a very hard thing to do. Some of these foreigners were heathen women which God had commanded not to intermingle with. They were now married to them and possibly had children. Sin has a way of complicating our lives in a way we never thought possible. There is an old saying, ‘Sin will take you further than you wanted to go, keep you longer than you wanted to be kept, and cost you more than you wanted to spend.’ Once entangled in sin, the only way out is complete confession and repentance to the Lord.
The Levites led a prayer to God on behalf of the people. (Neh.9:5-37) The prayer begins by acknowledging God’s greatness and majesty, a good place for us to start when we pray. They continued with reciting Israel’s history from the Abrahamic covenant to their time in Egypt and the wandering in the wilderness, through the conquest and settlement of the Promised Land, through the judges, the prophets, and up to the present situation. God’s on-going goodness to Israel is noted along with each time throughout history their fathers disobeyed and sinned against God and now the present generation has done the same.
The people were yearning for that same goodness God had shown to their father’s generation by responding, “In view of all this, we are making a solemn promise and putting it in writing.” (Neh.9:38a nlt) They were making an appeal for a new covenant agreeing to follow God’s Laws. The leaders, priests, and Levites signed the document, “On this sealed document are the names of our leaders and Levites and priests The document was ratified and sealed with the following names: The governor: Nehemiah son of Hacaliah, and also Zedekiah.” (Neh.9:38b 10:1 nlt) The godly leaders took the first step and put their names on the document of confession and promised repentance. It is sad, but some of them were also guilty of the same sins, but they led in a godly manner of confession and repentance before the people.
Godly leaders today can fall into sin as we are often reminded. Their true character will come to light even more so in how they respond to their downfall. Is there full confession and repentance or are there excuses and cover-ups that eventually cause them to disappear from the scene? Our pastors and spiritual leaders need our constant daily prayers. Satan does not rest but is continually scheming to bring them down.
The leaders in Jerusalem set an honest godly example for the people who “joined their leaders and bound themselves with an oath. They swore a curse on themselves if they failed to obey the Law of God as issued by his servant Moses. They solemnly promised to carefully follow all the commands, regulations, and decrees of the LORD our Lord.” (Neh.10:29 nlt) They agreed not to intermarry with non-Jewish people. They agreed to keep the Sabbath free from commercial activity, support the Sabbatical year, and to support the needs of the Temple.
The book of Nehemiah is filled with examples of godly leadership, all in which are applicable for our day, but as mentioned above some of them did fall. They led the people into sin by either ignoring the sins they had seen being committed or the people followed their lead. Either way, we need to remember we are all sinners. That is not a reason to excuse the sin or dismiss the sinner, but to pray for confession and repentance. May godly leaders continue to lead the way.
Several of the psalms King David wrote contain some form of prayer. Psalm 27 is one of the prayer psalms. David had many conspirators and enemies plotting against him most of his life. He prayed for God to deliver him from his enemies and was confident the Lord would do so. (Ps.27:1-3) David found sanctuary in the presence of the Lord. He equated God’s presence as being in the house of the Lord. “The one thing I ask of the LORD—the thing I seek most—is to live in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, delighting in the LORD’s perfections and meditating in his Temple.” (Ps.27:4 nlt) David’s confidence was strengthened in God’s presence for He was David’s stronghold.
David was sure God would protect him concealing him when trouble came and would hide him in His sanctuary. David wrote, “He will place me out of reach on a high rock.” (Ps.27:5b nlt) David was confident God would hide him and place him out of the reach of his enemies. David breaks out in prayer in the rest of psalm praying for deliverance and asking God to lead him on the right path away from his enemies. He acknowledges God would never abandon him and knows he will see God’s goodness as he waits patiently for Him.
David’s psalm should serve as an inspiration for every Christian. We are not aware of who David’s enemies were, but we can conclude they were led by the Satan, the evil one. Christians today have this in common with David, we have the same enemy. We should also have the same confidence David had when we pray that God will protect and hide us by placing us out of Satan’s reach. Even if Satan and his minions see us up on that top shelf in the Lord’s sanctuary, it’s out of their reach. Therefore, be diligent in prayer for Paul tells us, “For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.” (Eph.6:12 nlt) Our enemies may be around us, but they are out of reach.
“Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.” Matthew 7:7 NLT
Some may take offense to this, but most Christians do not have a consistent prayer life. These same Christians also struggle with being persistent in prayer. If you were not offended by the opening lines to this devotional then you are one of the many who do struggle, as I myself, with being persistent in prayer and praying consistently. There have been countless numbers of books written on prayer over the years. Sermon series, lectures, class studies, small groups, and seminars have all addressed these concerning issues on prayer. Although much progress has been made with lives changed, we still have a problem with consistency and more importantly with being persistent in prayer. Perhaps we spend too much time on intellectual and educational pursuits that we miss the simple points of Jesus’ teaching.
“Consistent” and “persistent” may appear similar in meaning, but are vastly different in action. Being consistent in prayer involves a regular pattern of a set time and routine on a continual basis. Persistent in prayer constitutes a deeper involvement as being determined, steadfast, resolute, and not giving up. Our Lord longs for our persistence in praying. He desires that His desires become our desires, and that we pray accordingly. Through persistence in prayer when asking for His will to be done, God will answer as He only gives us good things. “For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.” (Mt.7:8 nlt)
When Jesus spoke those words to His disciples in Matthew chapter seven, He was emphasizing the importance of persistent praying. ‘Ask,’ ‘seek,’ and ‘knock,’ are in the present tense and are commands of God. They are in ascending order to note their importance. We are never to give up praying the Lord’s will for our lives, but to be persistent. Asking, seeking, and knocking, we are to be persistent in prayer.
“At last the wall was completed to half its height around the entire city, for the people had worked with enthusiasm……So I placed armed guards behind the lowest parts of the wall in the exposed areas. I stationed the people to stand guard by families, armed with swords, spears, and bows.” Nehemiah 4:6, 13 NLT
The work of rebuilding the walls in Jerusalem is starting to take place here in chapters 3 & 4 in the book of Nehemiah. Nehemiah had completed his prep work. He has the authorization from the king to rebuild, the materials have been provided, Nehemiah had done a walk around the city surveying the damage noting the work that needed to be done, and most importantly, he had the good hand of the Lord upon him.
Chapter 3 details the beginning of the work. Eight gates are noted to be repaired along with their attached sections and specifically who was responsible for the rebuilding of that portion of the wall. This building project include all classes of people; priests, rulers, goldsmiths, the common laity, women, and merchants were motivated to work on rebuilding the wall. No doubt they were motivated by their leader Nehemiah who was organizing the workers in a way that would cover every inch around the city wall. The rebuilding began at the northeast corner of the city moving counterclockwise. Some of the workers were assigned to sections in front of their own homes. I’m sure extra careful effort would be made on that portion of the wall for the protection of their family. Nehemiah was also aware that it would take all the people to be motivated, not just the leaders, to get the job done. Nehemiah’s example of motivation is still used today in many business models in boosting moral in the workplace.
The work was progressing, but now so was the opposition to it. “Sanballat was very angry when he learned that we were rebuilding the wall. He flew into a rage and mocked the Jews.” (Neh.4:1 nlt) The first attempt by Nehemiah’s enemies was to humiliate the people and their work. They tried to make them feel subconscious in their efforts, eventually quitting. “What does this bunch of poor, feeble Jews think they’re doing? Do they think they can build the wall in a single day by just offering a few sacrifices? Do they actually think they can make something of stones from a rubbish heap—and charred ones at that?” (Neh.4:2 nlt) Nehemiah didn’t waste any time. He quickly called out to the God of heaven for help. He didn’t insult his mockers or resort to physical means but prayed to God who brought him this far. Dr. John MacArthur notes, “Nehemiah’s dependence of God is never more evident than in his prayer.” Nehemiah is again displaying his godly leadership in recognizing God as the true leader.
The motivation and organizational skills Nehemiah displayed paid off as the wall was erected to half its height “for the people had worked with enthusiasm.” (Neh.4:6b nlt) Sanballat, Tobiah, and the rest of Nehemiah’s enemies now with a new addition, the Ashdodites from the western side of Jerusalem, were about to unveil plan B. Jerusalem was now completely surrounded by those in opposition to the rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. And “They all made plans to come and fight against Jerusalem and throw us into confusion.” (Neh.4:8 nlt)
Nehemiah was diligent in leading the people in prayer (Neh.4:9) and securing a plan for readiness in case of attack. He placed guards around the city day and night. But discouragement was setting in from overwork and fear of attack. And when the people gazed at the debris to be cleared out, they were beginning to become overwhelmed. “The workers are getting tired, and there is so much rubble to be moved. We will never be able to build the wall by ourselves.” (Neh.4:10 nlt) This is good example for modern-day Christians to observe. There are times when our spiritual walls of protection are destroyed and lie in ruins due to our sin. Among the debris and ruins of the wall is the rubble and broken pillars of sin we have allowed in our life causing our spiritual wall to collapse. It may be a daunting task, but our sin must first be cleaned up and discarded before we start to rebuild those spiritual walls.
The Jews were getting full warnings of a planned attack when they least expect it, but it was imminent. Nehemiah went into action to protect the people and to see to it that the work would continue. He placed guards at the lowest and most vulnerable spots on the wall. When rebuilding our own spiritual walls, we will have low spots that need protection so that we don’t slip back into sin. Be aware and stand guard. Satan does not want your walls built back up. Nehemiah stationed families together behind the wall in open spaces with weapons for protection. Families would be together protecting each other and seeing their portion of the wall rebuilt. We also need family support in rebuilding our spiritual walls, don’t try to do it alone. Nehemiah now exhorts everyone by saying, “Don’t be afraid of the enemy! Remember the Lord, who is great and glorious, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes!” (Neh.4:14b nlt)
The Jews’ enemies realized that God frustrated their plans just as they tried to upend the Jews work on the wall. They gave up on plan B. But Nehemiah did not let up. He took the time to better secure the work area and the protection of the people. Nehemiah cut his workforce in half by installing half of them as guards while the other half continued to build the wall with a weapon close at hand. The leaders were positioned behind the workers and were prepared to lead the response if attacked. A trumpeter was always alongside Nehemiah to sound the alarm for all to hear and help wherever there was trouble. The people willing followed Nehemiah working sunrise to sunset, staying in the city protecting it every night and each other not even taking time to change their clothes. Godly leaders who are organized, motivated, and diligent will accomplish much in whatever they are charged to do and will have the support of those behind them.
How often do you call on the Lord? How often do you pray? Calling on the Lord is the same as praying to the Lord. There is a tendency to consider ‘calling’ on the Lord differently. We may think of ‘calling’ as more of a forceful, desperate cry as compared to a silent prayer and that would be true. But you are still talking to God about your troubles. Prayers with a little more emphasis include more than words from your lips but from your heart.
The Old Testament Psalm 86 was written by King David as a prayer for God’s help when being attacked by his enemies. You can be sure David’s words were not completely silent. Even if they were, his heart and soul would have been bursting for God’s intervention. David pleas for God to hear him, answer him, guard his life, save him, have mercy on him, and bring him joy. He writes, “You, Lord, are forgiving and good, abounding in love to all who call to you.” (Ps.86:5 niv) David also knew any sin in his life would be forgiven, that God is good, and loves all who call on Him.
An important first step in prayer is to confess our sins asking for forgiveness. (1Jn.1:9) We praise Him acknowledging who He is and pray for His will to be done for what we are about to ask Him. We can tell the Lord our troubles praying from the depths of our hearts, as David did, being confident His answer is surrounded by His love for us. “Hear my prayer, LORD; listen to my cry for mercy. When I am in distress, I call to you, because you answer me.” (Ps.86:6-7 niv) So, whether your prayer is loud and forceful or in complete silence, always call on the Lord from your heart.
“If it please the king, let me have letters addressed to the governors of the province west of the Euphrates River, instructing them to let me travel safely through their territories on my way to Judah. And please give me a letter addressed to Asaph, the manager of the king’s forest, instructing him to give me timber.” Nehemiah 2:7-8a NLT
There are essential traits that every godly leader must possess. We will look at several of them during our course of study in the book of Nehemiah the next few weeks. Last week we noted the first and most important one, prayer and fasting. To be truly successful in any endeavor in life, especially leadership, a proper relationship with the Lord in prayer is a must. We closed last week with Nehemiah continuing to pray even though he had a plan. He knew having a plan was not enough. The Lord had to be a part of it. This week we will examine Nehemiah’s plan unpacking it and noting the value of his preparations for restoring Jerusalem starting with rebuilding the walls and gates.
As we begin chapter 2, four months have passed, and it is the month of Nisan in the spring 445 B.C… Nehemiah is in his usual position serving wine to King Artaxerxes. But there is a problem. The king notices Nehemiah’s countenance is not his usual self, but one of sadness. This frightens Nehemiah greatly for it was dangerous to display such a sad emotion before the king. The king’s officials were expected to always be happy in the presence of the king despite any personal situations they were dealing with. Nehemiah literally feared for his life. So, when the king asked him, “Why are you looking so sad? You don’t look sick to me. You must be deeply troubled.” (Neh.2:2 nlt) Nehemiah was terrified.
Nehemiah gave an immediate response. “Long live the king! How can I not be sad? For the city where my ancestors are buried is in ruins, and the gates have been destroyed by fire.” (Neh.2:3 nlt) Nehemiah appealed to the reverence of one’s ancestral burial ground by noting the ruins around them. The city’s gates in those days represented the very life of the city. They were a place for social gatherings. It was also the place where the elders of the city met to settle disputes brought to them from the residents. Nehemiah was both honest and direct in his answer to King Artaxerxes which the king understood as a deep matter of concern. And due to the relationship built up over the years the king was quick to offer help in any way he could. Building relationships through trust with those you work for and work with will pay dividends in the future. This is one example, but of course, we don’t do it to get something out of it, but to be obedient to God as representing Him in the workplace.
A quick silent prayer was offered by Nehemiah to the God of heaven before his reply to the king. “So I prayed to the God of heaven.” (Neh.2:4b esv) When prayer is needed in the moment, Nehemiah’s response is the way to go. There is no time for proper posture, getting your list out, or reading scripture first, you need to pray now. Just do it! God will hear and answer. Nehemiah had been praying for such an occasion over the last four months. He never knew when the opportunity would come, so he needed to be ready. Ready to ask the king for his help when the time arrived, and of course he prayed. This was the day he was waiting for and he was prepared.
Praying, fasting, planning, and preparing are essential traits for godly leadership as mentioned, but ‘patience’ is also an essential trait. This could be the hardest to achieve, but nothing is impossible with God as you take it to Him in prayer. Godly leaders must be patient to work on God’s timetable. Rushing into a project, even well planned out, based on our own assumptions that the right time is right will prove disastrous. Prayer is vital in determining when God gives us the green light. Godly leaders will not go on their assumptions but will wait for clarity from the Lord.
The patience of Nehemiah paid off as the time had come that he was preparing for to deliver his request to the king. His prayer life and his confidence in God gave him the boldness of a godly leader who trust is in the Lord. Nehemiah boldly asked for a leave of absence from his important role as the king’s cupbearer. “If it please the king, and if you are pleased with me, your servant, send me to Judah to rebuild the city where my ancestors are buried.” (Neh.2:5 nlt) The king granted his request, and the time of his absence was agreed to. Nehemiah then shown he had done his homework planning what he would need. He boldly asked King Artaxerxes for letters of authorization for clear passage through other jurisdictions. Nehemiah then asked for a letter of authorization to secure timber from the king’s forest to build the walls and gates of Jerusalem and even timber his own home when he gets there. He evidently researched and knew where to find the lumber he needed. Nehemiah prepared to take on the project of rebuilding Jerusalem. Beginning with prayer and fasting, working a plan, and preparing to present it to the king, and with great patience when the time had come, Nehemiah was ready. “And the king granted these requests, because the gracious hand of God was on me.” (Neh.2:8b nlt)
Leadership today is need of a Nehemiah approach to be a godly leader. Whether involved in church ministry, working in the business world, or in government, godly leaders who pray, plan, and are prepare will confidently be able to accomplish much and make a difference where God has placed them. If you aspire to be a leader, be prepared. You never know when that door will finally open when the gracious hand of God is on you.
“I looked for someone who might rebuild the wall of righteousness that guards the land. I searched for someone to stand in the gap in the wall so I wouldn’t have to destroy the land, but I found no one. So now I will pour out my fury on them, consuming them with the fire of my anger. I will heap on their heads the full penalty for all their sins. I, the Sovereign LORD, have spoken!” Ezekiel 22:30-31 NLT
The United States of America is still the greatest, most prosperous nation in the world today. Cemented on Judeo-Christian values from the pages of Holy Scripture by the founding Fathers, the United States has been blessed as no other nation for the undivided attention given to God’s commands and the truth given to us from our creator. But, I’m afraid those days are surely coming to an end. The United States as a country has abandon God and we are starting to see the beginning of the end of our freedom unless a radical change back to God is made very soon.
It is impossible for anyone to not be aware of the deterioration of the very fabric of our nation. Even the casual observer of the news is confronted with political turmoil, ever increasing crime, hatred towards others, racism, scandals within our government institutions, attempts to silence free speech, discrimination, churches turning away from the truths of God’s Word, and Federal government spending causing the rise in the debt ceiling. The fact is, although being aware of the crisis in our country, many people are either disinterested or simply don’t care. Others are too busy with their own concerns, some are part of the problem, and then there are others who do care but only complain. They never take the initiative by getting involved to help in any way they can, even praying for the country.
The Lord speaking through the prophet Ezekiel was looking for someone to intercede on behalf of the people of Jerusalem who were about to be taken captive, and the city destroyed. Their continued sinning by turning their back on God is about to unleash the consequences. Sadly, the Lord found no one to ‘stand in the gap’ rebuilding the wall of righteousness. There was no one to teach repentance and return to the Lord their God. Jerusalem was destroyed and the people taken to Babylon in captivity.
The United States must heed this warning from the Old Testament book of Ezekiel, if the Lord God did not spare His own people from destruction due to their sin, what makes us think He will spare the United States of America? “So now I will pour out my fury on them, consuming them with the fire of my anger. I will heap on their heads the full penalty for all their sins. I, the Sovereign LORD, have spoken!” (Ez.22:31 nlt) Who will help rebuild the wall of righteousness, the sacred Judeo-Christian values that established the United States, and stand in the ‘stand in the gap?’ Will it be you? Will it be me? May it be both of us!
The link below will help get us off to a good start. Today is Day 2 of ’40 Days of Prayer before the U. S. Presidential election.’ May we all be in prayer as we stand in the gap for the next 40 days for America and other countries around the world.
“The wall of Jerusalem has been torn down, and the gates have been destroyed by fire. When I heard this, I sat down and wept. In fact, for days I mourned, fasted, and prayed to the God of heaven.” Nehemiah 1:3b-4 NLT
Today we start our Biblical Insights Fall Series with a study into the book of Nehemiah. While there are many themes and insights we can glean from this book, our focus will be on Godly Leadership in a time of crisis. A selection of events of his leadership from his own memoirs provide the context for this Old Testament history book. Nehemiah demonstrates unmatched skills for his day in overall leadership and organization. The Wycliffe Bible Commentary notes, “No portion of the Old Testament provides us with a greater incentive to dedicated, discerning zeal for the work of God than the book of Nehemiah. The example of Nehemiah’s passion for the truth of God’s word, whatever the cost or consequences, is an example solely needed in the present hour.” (1) With that said, let us begin.
Nehemiah was a trusted Royal official in King Artaxerxes court. Artaxerxes was King Ahasuerus’ son from our study in the book of Esther. In fact, Esther was his stepmother. Nehemiah was one King Artaxerxes most trusted officials for he was the king’s cupbearer. He would choose and taste the king’s wine safeguarding it from being poisoned. He was highly trusted and would be used by God for His purposes as Joseph, Daniel, and Esther. Once again God’s people found themselves in an uncomfortable and dangerous situation.
Some quick background; The Jewish people had returned to Jerusalem from captivity in 538 B.C. and completed the rebuilt temple 515 B.C… There was a second mass return from the Persian Empire under the leadership of Ezra in 458 B.C… The book of Nehemiah begins in Nov/Dec 445 B.C. as Nehemiah receives word from his brother and others who had traveled to Jerusalem to report on the conditions of the city. Nehemiah was concerned for the people there and anxious to receive the report. Scripture does say how involved Nehemiah was in these men going to Jerusalem, but he was certainly concerned. Nehemiah possessed a caring attitude for his brothers and sisters in Jerusalem. When he heard of the bad report he was devastated by the news. “They said to me, ‘Things are not going well for those who returned to the province of Judah. They are in great trouble and disgrace.’” (Neh.1:3a nlt) When he heard the news, Nehemiah took the first step a Godly leader takes, he mourned for those in Jerusalem, fasted and prayed. Godly leaders know who to turn to when people are in trouble. A lesson appropriate for leaders today.
What was hard for Nehemiah to grasp was not that the walls and gates were torn down, but that the work had stopped in rebuilding them after their return to the land. There was much opposition and delays when building the temple, but the people were able to see it to completion. Apparently, those distractors still had a stronghold on Jerusalem’s residents that they did not continue the work. This was extremely dangerous for the safety of the people and the protection of the temple with no walls of defense. Nehemiah was not a religious leader but understood what the city of Jerusalem was to the Lord God. It was the city where God had put His name, and His name was not being glorified by the total completion of the city walls when His people returned to Jerusalem. Nehemiah had godly insight into the problem which a Godly leader needs to have to be successful.
Notice another trait of a Godly leader. Nehemiah identified with the people in his prayer. “Listen to my prayer! Look down and see me praying night and day for your people Israel. I confess that we have sinned against you. Yes, even my own family and I have sinned!” (Neh.1:6 nlt) Nehemiah recognizes perhaps the people have not been obedient to God and therefore the walls of protection are gone so he prays to that end and adds his own sin and confesses. Godly leaders confess their sins and the sins of those they represent.
Nehemiah reminds the Lord of His covenant with Israel in his prayer, not that he needs to be reminded but plead with God to activate His promise to them if the people repented. “But if you return to me and obey my commands and live by them, then even if you are exiled to the ends of the earth, I will bring you back to the place I have chosen for my name to be honored.” (Neh.1:9 nlt) The Lord had indeed brought them back and now Nehemiah is asking God for His name to honored again in Jerusalem through His chosen people. “The people you rescued by your great power and strong hand are your servants.” (Neh.1:10 nlt)
Nehemiah closes his prayer with a request that the king’s heart would be kind to him when he makes his approach to ask permission to go to Jerusalem to rebuild the walls. He already had a plan. A good leader does go about haphazardly but has a plan in place. We can all use this advice in our daily lives. God may change your plans but have a plan in place Nehemiah did.
Finally, a Godly leader understands the value of bringing everything before God in prayer. Nehemiah prayed recognizing the transcendent God, who is high and mighty far above His people and close enough to help them in their time of need. We have the same God today. May all those in leadership positions follow Nehemiah’s first step when faced with a crisis. Pray!
“Then the other administrators and high officers began searching for some fault in the way Daniel was handling government affairs, but they couldn’t find anything to criticize or condemn. He was faithful, always responsible, and completely trustworthy. So they concluded, ‘Our only chance of finding grounds for accusing Daniel will be in connection with the rules of his religion.’” Daniel 6:4-5 NLT
Government officials who profess Christianity are looked upon as a threat to our way of life. Adhering to Biblical principles accuses them of intolerance, taking away rights, discrimination, limiting freedom, and dare I say a threat to democracy. Of course, none of this is true for the God of the Bible would never support those things listed above. In fact, the Bible speaks quite openly just the opposite when administered according to His standard of truth and His holiness. God has established government for an orderly way of life in our world to maintain peace by punishing criminals and providing safety and protection for all its citizens. The guidelines to follow are found in His book He has written to us, the Bible. It is when government seeks to establish their own reasoning of right and wrong contrary to God’s standards that we have an unorderly world.
Christians in government leadership positions need our daily prayers. They are in an uphill battle with mostly every piece of legislation being debated or with laws they need to follow which are against God’s Word. There are many who want to silence them and see them out of office. I believe the Lord has placed them there by His grace and will use them for His glory not only for a more stable government, but in advancing His kingdom by leading others to Christ. They have a great responsibility to maintain integrity among their colleagues with whom they are in opposition for the greater cause for doing the right thing for the people.
The prophet Daniel in the Old Testament could well represent a modern-day government official. He, indeed, was one. One of the top three in Darius’ administration. Daniel’s character and integrity were above reproach, and his work was of excellent quality. He was on his way to being promoted but his two companions wanted him out of office and tried to find some accusation against him but couldn’t find any. Daniel’s godly character and work ethic made it impossible to find anything negative in his service to the king. His opponents knew they could only get him to violate the law if it was something that went against his God, so they devised a plan and they passed such a law. This is being done in our government before our very eyes in 2024.
Be praying for all who hold office in our government, Christians and non-Christians alike. For those who do not know the living savior to come to know Him and for Christians to be able to stand for the truth and not be persuaded to compromise God’s Word in fear of losing their jobs. Pray they will maintain their integrity and conduct their work to highest standard as a follower of Jesus. And continue to pray for the United States in the upcoming election that men and women of God will be elected to office governing as God’s Word commands.
Word for the Soul 