Just in time for the Olympics (ok that part is not in the Bible… but it is almost time for the Olympics in the twenty-first century) the Jews completed the wall surrounding Jerusalem in fifty-two days. Working together the wall was finished in record time and had caused quite a disturbance among the enemies. Since so much of the attention and effort went into restoring the wall other needs were neglected. Nehemiah recognized that rebuilding the city was more than just repairing the walls… it was time to care for the poor and oppressed. Jews were taking advantage of Jews, making it hard for some families just to get by and this angered Nehemiah. Nehemiah demanded that this stop and commanded the Jews to make an oath before God that they would not try to capitalize on the powerless ever again.
Enemies tried to capture and attack Nehemiah and keep him from finishing his tasks but with each threat he turned to God in prayer. With the wall completed Nehemiah longed to see the exiled Jews return to Jerusalem. With a homecoming of sorts thousands of them relocated back to Jerusalem.
This was a brief summary of Nehemiah 5-7 that was covered this week in Kelly Minter’s Nehemiah: A Heart That Can Break study.
Do you ever get fatigued of doing something? You know like get half way through a task you felt like you were supposed to do and originally had excitement about and then just lose your momentum. I do.
In fact I have felt that way lately with leading this Bible study. My enemy has been my own self telling me I can’t do it and that this it is just a waste a time. Sometimes I would rather count the numbers than pray for the actual hearts this post might touch. But this week I have learned that the Enemy is lying to me… trying to keep me from finishing God’s task He has placed on my heart to do. Regardless of whether I feel like it is successful, I heard the calling of the Holy Spirit to lead this study and I must obey.
This whole process has been very humbling for me. In no way do I even feel capable of sharing what’s on my heart every week. It’s so much easier for me to show you the latest project I have been working on around the house! Writing these posts causes me to rely heavily on God and pray that His words would just speak through me.
Like Nehemiah, I don’t want to let the enemy stop me or detour me from the task I was called to complete. Three weeks into this study I have finally learned when the enemy tries to attack turn to God in prayer.
So praying I have been doing. Praying for strength and wisdom to write and praying for you, all my readers. Before this study even began I started praying for all of you. Praying for our relationships to deepen and that God would use this study to speak to us, to draw us closer to Him.
The enemy will choose ways to attack you in your own life as well. That’s why it’s important that we remember to respond like Nehemiah and turn to God in prayer. Why did the enemy attack Nehemiah… because “they realized that this work had been done with the help of our God.”
Memory Verse
Nehemiah said, : Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is sacred to our Lord. Do not grieve for the joy of the LORD is your strength. Nehemiah 8:10 (NIV)
Discussion Questions
- In what area of obedience are you currently fatiguing?
- Do you find that you really lose sight of the people in your life for all the lists, tasks, and busyness you’re trying to manage? How can you change this?
* Questions taken directly from Kelly Minter’s Nehemiah: A Heart that Can Break.
For more Color Transformed Family follow me on
Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter or RSS.
Want to catch up or start from the beginning? It’s never too late to join the study. Below are the links to the previous weeks or just check out the Transformed Deeper tab at the top of the page. I would love for you to join the study!
Linking Up At:
For more Color Transformed Family follow me on:
Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram, Hometalk,
or RSS.
Post Footer automatically generated by Add Post Footer Plugin for wordpress.
In what area of obedience are you currently fatiguing?
well, i think it’s a cumulation of some things.. Clearly, i’m fatiguing at work, which could be a obedience issue according to colossians 3:22-24. (sometimes i struggle with whether or not that is really what’s it’s referring to, or if the beginning clause changes it, or how it lines up with ecc 2:22-24; but all in all titus 2:9, 1 tim 6:1-2, 1peter 2:18-20, eph 6:5-8 — basically i can try to convince myself all day of one thing, but clearly scripture says something else.. therefore, in this season i need to ensure that i am being diligent FOR God in this time
oh.. so while i was typing this, i was simultatenously cleaning my email acct… here’s an email i sent to myself and keith back on mar 6: “http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbDuoT4-HWc&feature=youtu.be maybe that’s why i feel this way… he’s needed me stuck in school to realign my life for him, to be constantly in prayer to figure out what i should be doing… and now that i know, it’s just miserable not being able to do it yet… but i can rest in the hope that soon soon it will happen!! and until then i can try my best to remain obedient and do EVERYTHING i can to get our lives aligned in His will”
oh… that’s an interesting reminder.. and super relevant.. thanks God for showing me my own heart when i have gotten so fatigued that i can’t remember the truth sometimes…
Do you find that you really lose sight of the people in your life for all the lists, tasks, and busyness you’re trying to manage? How can you change this?
http://www.aholyexperience.com/2011/06/one-habit-that-radically-changes-a-family/
my prayer cards.. notecards, that each week i write, thanking God for my family, asking for wisdom, asking for the salvation of our children.. or our friends, for boldness in living out in obedience even when it takes sacrifices as it should — really whatever come to mind… i drop it in my purse, then i can go back to it whenever i have a moment and my mind is wandering (in line at the store, walking to my car, etc — and this allows me to refocus on the One that matters.. and the things that matter”. I pretty much don’t throw them away so more and more cards are piling up in random places.. my desk, in drawers at home, diaper bags, etc… It’s been a blessing to have these cards.. withing arms reach here is one.. i’ll type it out here and pray it toda (… i think it must be old beause LM isn’t mentioned) — and this one was specifically focused on children..sometimes i’ll do a specific topic like that, sometimes, just culmination of things.. and i’m pretty sure i based this particular one off a template prayer in a book.. maybe from Babybootcamp.. but it’s easy to personalize, I asked God to teach me to pray and I don’t doubt that He can use others’ prayers to do that 😉
Dearest Father,
I thank you for my children. They are, indeed, a blessing from You. How grateful I am for the privilege & precious responsibility of training them. I pray for Connor. & Sadie…. For BG and LM, for our future children… evne our grandchildren.. oh Father, I pray that they will fear the YOU.. and serve YOU alone! May each one come to know Christ early, yet still be old enough that it creates a memory on which they can stand. May my children hate sin. I pray that these kids will be caught when they’re guilty, so they may learn from their mistakes, and also, Lord, that they would be quick to confess any wrongdoing, that their hearts be tender and inclined to repentance. May they have a responsibile attitude and a strong sense of family – close and affectionate with one another. i pray our family will respect on another and those you place in authority over us. May our children desire the right kinds of friend Provide those friends, Lord, and protect them from the wrong kind Save them and keep them for the right spouse – may they and their future God-appointed spouse be pure for one another on their wedding night. May they submit to Keith and me as their parents, honoring and loving us.. may we strive, ever thru christ, to be good, God-honoring parents. praying always in the name of Jesus, Amen
oh, i got distracted with what my answer was really going to be: Patience, I am constantly fatigued in trying to have patience… and this plays out in a lot of ways (and could be due in part to some of the fatigue of just everything else)… well, this kind of plays into my last post: http://anothermccoy.blogspot.com, but anyway
i have had a lack of patience with pretty much everyone, everything.. lack of patience wanting to be done with this degree, lack of patience each day at work wanting it to be over, lack of patience with keith, and sometimes, to a lesser degree, with the boys, definitely had a lack with sadie recently, with non-believers i come into contact with because their argument have felt same-old same-old… When is it biblical to shake the dust off my feet in this context?… lack of patience with believers who seem stagnant, lack of patience with believers who aren’t living up to standards i think are biblical (hmmm.. plank in the eye here….. but it says to remove the plank and then help with the splinter… how do we know when are planks are gone and it’s time to assist with the splinter…. lack of patience with listening to people suggest or ask things that i feel strongly against.. (sometimes this can be good, sometimes not).. even so patience would be right…… lack of patience with intolerance towards things where i have an opinion (is that an oxymoron?) be it in regards to race, adoption, gun control, breastfeeding, homeschooling, abortion, homesteading, or any of the other controversial topics .. but not so much in that i think everyone should agree, but that i think we should be able to have respectful 2-way discussions and i shouldn’t feel shut out or bossed around etc..(http://www.smockityfrocks.com/2012/07/disagreeing-with-style-and-grace.html)
so.. here is my blurb of emotions.. apparently i will be more specific in praying for patience and discernment.. and maybe if you don’t mind, pray the same over me 😉
.
I loved your response and that you turned it into a blog post in itself! I have gone back and read it several time and I will definitely pray for patience and discernment for you. Thank you for being so honest. Your prayer cards sound like something I should try. I have such trouble staying focused through prayer. I want to bathe Noah, ML, and our future children in prayer and pray specifically for them like you do for yours. Often while I am watching Noah fall asleep I will say a prayer for her but what a challenge you have given me to make those prayers more specific.
I’m sad to admit that in times of trouble or discouragement, prayer is not the first thing that comes to mind. I often run to another person or something to give me affirmation that I’m right or going to be okay. Prayer needs to be my first line of defense though.
I’m thankful for your obedience Krystle!
Mary Beth
Pingback: Looking Back | Color Transformed Family