A major celebration is planned. One that would far out rival the Queen’s Jubilee or the opening ceremony of the Olympics. This celebration is for the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem. The people of Jerusalem had gathered to sing to, worship, and praise God.
Despite their committment to God and glorious celebration to Him near the end of the book we find that many of the Israelites had reverted back to their old ways. They had allowed the pagan foreigners to inhabit space in the temple and influenced their marriages and families. We find children not even able to speak their native tongue. The language The Law was told in.
Nehemiah returns angry and furious at what has become of the city. He clears the city of the unholy practices and people and redirects the Jews back to following God’s law and the importance of passing on His word to the next generation.
Nehemiah, like in all the previous circumstances finds himself in prayer before, after, and during addressing the Jews. In fact the book of Nehemiah ends in prayer.
Discussion
The above concludes the last chapters of Nehemiah. This week we conclude our study of Nehemiah and Kelly Minter’s book Nehemiah: A Heart That Can Break.
Reading about the dedication of the wall was one of my favorite parts of Nehemiah. I can’t help but to picture the people singing Newsboys’ song He reigns.
Mainly I picture this song because every time I hear it it seems to give me a glimpse of heaven. Jerusalem is also a foreshadowing of heaven. The wall was built to protect the city that protected the temple that was the dwelling place of God. Rebuilding the wall was indeed reason for a celebration.
Like the Jews, someday as Christians we will live in a city protected by walls, with gates that will be impenetrable in the new Jerusalem where God will dwell eternally.
Remember us with favor, O our God Nehemiah 13: 31.
Kelly Minter states, “Because of Jesus, we are assured He will.”- Nehemiah: A Heart That Can Break
Today’s post is short because instead of taking up your time with words I would much rather you catch a glimpse of heaven. Watch the music video above. If you don’t have four minutes and some change to spare at least skip to minute 2:52. That is my favorite part of the song.
Thanks so much for joining me on this journey of studying Nehemiah! I have really enjoyed it. Many times been challenged and strengthened by God. The greatest take away for me from this entire study has been to let prayer be my first response. Bathe everything in prayer. The more I pray the more I find my heart braking for those around me.
What has been your greatest take away from this study? Do you have a particular song that to you is a glimpse of heaven? If so I would love to know what it is.
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!
Even if you’re not following along in the Nehemiah study I encourage you to read this post. I am sharing what new plans are in store for me for the next couple of months.
The Story
The Israelites gathered together for a worship service. Unlike the comfortable seats, air conditioning, and wrap it up in an hour culture of our day they stood for the entire reading of the Law followed by corporate prayer… outside… the entire morning.
During this time together they remembered and praised God for what He had done through the Jews in the past and then made a covenant with God to “walk in God’s Law” (Nehemiah 10:29). They also promised God to give him the first fruits of everything that was theirs.
Above is a very concise summary of Nehemiah chapters 9-10 which we covered this week in Kelly Minter’s Nehemiah: A Heart That Can Break study.
I’ve struggled with what to write for this week. What did God want me to take away from it. I feel like every week I just want say, “Let prayer be your first response“. And while that is true and something I have been reminding myself lately there is so much more to take away from this scripture.
I love it when I am able to look back at my life and see how God was working through bits and pieces here and there but at the same time weaving it all together. For instance one of my favorites in my life is how God provided work outside the home for me up until Noah arrived. As I was preparing to graduate college Michael Luke was still waiting to find out which physical therapy school he would be attending. This meant we had no clue which city for me to focus on for job applications or if we would even end up in the same city.
At first it looked bleak because I went to interview after interview all over the place; Memphis, Atlanta, Birmingham, and Chicago. One trip to Chicago in the frigid Spring and I knew that place wasn’t for me. Anyway time moved on I still didn’t have an offer. Finally we found out ML was accepted to PT school at UAB in Birmingham. With a city nailed down I started focusing my applications on Birmingham. I interned close to home for the Summer and then out of the blue (according to God’s plan) found an architecture firm that was hiring… and wanted to interview me!
The interview went well and I really felt like “they were the ones” when I left. A few days later I got a call offering me a job. A job as in interior designer with an architecture firm that specialized in healthcare. Healthcare was where I felt like God had been leading me my last semester in college so I was thrilled to get the opportunity to try my hand at healthcare design.
The job wasn’t a piece cake. In fact it was harder than I could have ever imagined but I stuck with it and finally felt like I knew what I was doing. Isn’t that a good feeling to have. Anyway a little thing called the “Great Recession” hit. ML was still in school at this point so we didn’t know any different. Except for the fact that architecture firms were laying off people left and right and many just closed their doors completely. Being the only bread winner in the family at that time I tried not to stress and instead trust that God was in control and that He would provide.
And provide He did. Our firm survived the recession and never had to lay off anyone. I’ll admit there were days where we all just sat around wondering who would be the first let go because there was no work but we made it! That in itself is a praise!
Slowly work started to pick up again and everything returned to somewhat normal. We paid off ML’s student loans and started preparing for a little one. The news of my pregnancy was shocking to most at the office. Mainly because I had never shared that I didn’t plan to come back to work if we ever had children. That’s not exactly a good thing to advertise if you are ever in the middle of a recession. So I promised to work up until Noah was born and then in a sense put my career on hold until our children are older… or possibly never return.
Work until Noah was born was exactly what I did. Right until and past when my water broke. I left that day knowing it was my last. ML and I felt peace knowing this and have been very thankful that He provided me the opportunity to stay home and invest in our little girl.
I thought it was the ending too, but it’s not. You know how God is. He sees the bigger picture and comes up with things we would never dream. Like for instance, the opportunity for me to work part time from home as an interior design consultant. I mean who would have thought? Not me. I especially never would have dreamed that I would get a call out of nowhere one day offering me this job. Besides a few meetings here and there it won’t interrupt my schedule with Noah. I will be able to do everything for the most part during her naps and at night time. I’m a little nervous about diving back into the healthcare world but I really have a passion for it and trust that God will provide. I’m amazed at everything He has done and would have never dreamed this is what He had in store for me. And if it doesn’t work out this initial project will only last around five months and then things can go back to normal.
This is just one example of God’s work and provision in my life. There are many others but I am always amazed at this one and continue to praise Him for it.
Looking back at the past is exactly what the Israelites did with their prayer. They hit every high point and low point of their history and praised God for his continued leadership and mercy despite all their faults.
My story isn’t without faults. There were plenty of days when I felt helpless and frantic and instead of turning to God in prayer I quickly mailed out resumes to whoever and whatever… hoping for an interview. I stressed more times than I should have during the recession. Job or no job God would have been in control. Despite all my many failures and faults along the way God continues to show His mercy and continues to unfold His plans for me.
Discussion
Do you ever take time to look back at your life and see God at work through it?
Looking back is it easier to see how He has weaved everything together?
Have you taken time lately to “confess” your praise to God? To confess how great and marvelous He is.
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!
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.
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!
