Devotional Thoughts

Nehemiah 4:6  "So built we the wall; and all the wall was joined together unto the half thereof: for the people had a mind to work."   "So built we the wall." The word, so, carries a lot of weight and demands our attention. As we think of that two letter word, we see the degree to which they committed themselves. For instance, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16) "God so loved the world." To what degree did He show that love? He loves us so much that "He gave His only begotten Son." That was the only way God could show the degree of love that He has for His children.    So, in what way and to what degree did the people build the wall? In today's verse, we see they "had a mind to work." They committed their will and determination to the work. They committed themselves to one another. We saw that in Chap...

Nehemiah 4:4-5    "Hear, O our God; for we are despised: and turn their reproach upon their own head, and give them for a prey in the land of captivity:  (5)  And cover not their iniquity, and let not their sin be blotted out from before thee: for they have provoked thee to anger before the builders." Nehemiah was a good example for all of us in that he was a man of prayer. We remember he fasted and prayed when he first heard the report of the condition of Jerusalem. He prayed before he went in before the king. He prayed before answering the king when he asked why he looked so sad. No doubt he prayed as he observed the rubble that was all about the city. And now we find him praying again. Nehemiah was already following the direction that was given long before Paul was inspired to write, "Pray without ceasing." Why was Nehemiah praying at this time? As the men were working diligently to get the wall rebuilt, the adversaries were very angry. Sanballat and Tobiah wer...

Nehemiah 3:1    "Then Eliashib the high priest rose up with his brethren the priests, and they builded the sheep gate; they sanctified it, and set up the doors of it; even unto the tower of Meah they sanctified it, unto the tower of Hananeel." Nehemiah 3:32    "And between the going up of the corner unto the sheep gate repaired the goldsmiths and the merchants." Today's verses may seem a bit strange at first as we begin to look at them. Why would I go from verse 1 to verse 32 and not include the verses between? Chapter 3 is one of the chapters that might be tempting to skip and go right to chapter 4. The entire chapter is nothing but names.  You know, those names that are difficult to pronounce. Those names that God placed there for a reason, but we don't know that reason. There are three reasons that I include them in our study of Nehemiah. The first reason is simply because God inspired Nehemiah to list the names. The second reason is due to the beginn...