Nehemiah Day 5: God Cares

Welcome, Day fivers! Let's dig into day five: Nehemiah Chapter 5 part one

So far in Nehemiah, opposition and discord had come from the outside in. The Jews had been working together whole heartedly to rebuild their protective wall, and trusting the Lord under Nehemiah's leadership.

Chapter five begins with "a great outcry" from within the land. The poor bring their concern to Nehemiah's attention. They were working hard, yet were deprived of the food and funds they needed for their families. These people had even been forced to mortgage their property in order to receive food and pay taxes!! It was especially difficult to provide for family during this time because there was famine.

"Although we are of the same flesh and blood as our fellow Jews, and though our children are as good as theirs, yet we have to subject our sons and daughters to slavery. Some of our daughters have already been enslaved, but we are powerless, because our fields and our vineyards belong to others." 5:5

The poor were living out of balance and underprivileged, over worked and taken advantaged of by the wealthy....and change was out of their power.

Upon receiving this information, Nehemiah "was very angry." His concern for others was authentic, and seeing injustice did not settle with him.

When God's people are hurting that takes priority. 
Nehemiah immediately took action. With the wall on the back burner, he gives a voice to the people who's were not being heard. Neh was given a position of authority which required responsibility. Project management was not his only title, but the people the project concerned. Caring for other's lives always takes priority over tasks, regardless of the importance the task might hold.

Nehemiah confronts the source. He calls together the nobles and officials, saying:

"What you are doing is not right. Shouldn't you walk in the fear of our God to avoid the reproach of our Gentile enemies? I and my brothers and my men are also lending the people money and grain. But let us stop charging interest! Give back to them immediately their fields, vineyards, olive groves and houses, and also the interest you are charging them - one percent of the money, gran, new wine, and olive oil." - 5:9-11

Restoring protection by a wall and provision for their needs, Nehemiah cared about the people's well being as a whole....

This heart was given to him by a God who cares about every detail of his children's lives. 
From healing hurt to providing resources, our God misses nothing.

Does change feel out of your control, sweet one? Is there an area of your life in which you feel powerless? Not only does our God have concern for your need, He fights on your behalf and will bring justice for you. We can completely rely on Him, because He is powerful when we are powerless.

"But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me." - 2 Corinthians 12:9

Bring before Him your need; He bends down to hear you, precious & loved child of God <3
In Jesus Christ we lack nothing, and no good thing does God withhold from those who love Him!

Nehemiah Day 5: God Cares

Nehemiah Day Four: Persevere

If you are new with us- welcome! We are reading Nehemiah, and following his journey in restoration! Today we read on in chapter 3 to see the Israelites come together, laboring side by side. Each is assigned uniquely, and completes their task properly. Everyone's work was vital; the wall as a whole could not hold together without each individual doing their part. Every part matters, dear one.

As progress is made in chapter 4, enemies oppose all the more. Hear the absolute rage that restoration brings the enemy!!!"What are those feeble Jews doing? Will they restore their wall? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they finish in a day? Can they bring the stones back to life from those heaps of rubble-burned as they are?" - Nehemiah 4:2

They were going through with it! The enemies' best weapon was trying to infuse their vulnerability and weakness with doubt. But opposition is faced the same way Nehemiah has patterned his behavior: prayer.

"Hear us, our God, for we are despised. Turn their insults back on their own heads. Give them over as plunder in a land of captivity. Do not cover up their guilt or blot out their sins from your sight, for they have thrown insults in the face of the builders." - 4:4-5

And strength to continue their work comes from their refocusing through communion with God. "So we rebuilt the wall till all of it reached half its height, for the people worked with all their heart." -4:6

Being a part of God's purposes calls everything from us- all our hearts. We must be sold out and committed. Nehemiah directly says, "the work is extensive and spread out" (v19). It was hard people! And there is no doubt our buddies had never faced a task this large... but "GAPS WERE BEING CLOSED" (v7). Change was happening! GOD will bring results...WE have to bring all of ourselves for Him to work with.

A half hearted wall would not have cut it. You see, a spot without glue (because builders use elmers, right?) could have made the whole wall crumble! Just so, half of our heart is not a pleasing sacrifice to God. He wants all of us, so we can share in ALL of Him! The reward on investment is amazing <3!

The best part is The Lord is the active ingredient at work within us for His purposes (Philippians 2:13)!!!  While this remains true, that vital ingredient produces activity in us! He invites into what He is doing. In this case, The Lord invited the Israelites to trust Him in restoration, doing their part, with all their hearts.

They simply had to keep their eyes on the prize.

"Finishing is better than starting. Patience is better than pride."- Ecclesiastes 7:8

Today may we ask the Lord for patience to complete whatever He has set before us. May we offer all our hearts to the purposes of the Lord, and follow through with humility and perseverance.

Build on builder, the Lord is with you.

Nehemiah Day Four: Persevere

Nehemiah Day Three: Brick by Brick

If you are new with us- welcome! We are reading Nehemiah, and following his journey in restoration! Today we find him at the beginning of his vacay days given by the boss (THE KING!!) and join him upon his arrival to Jerusalem. Enjoy & follow along in Nehemiah Chapter 2:11-20.

Providing supplies, the King sent Neh on his way with more than he asked. His testimony of God's faithfulness spurred him on into a mission that spoke to his heart. Neh ventures to Jerusalem, and in wisdom momentarily keeps to himself his big idea given by God.

Upon arrival, Neh assesses the damage that has been done, the holes, burns, and give aways of the wall. Although God had put specific instruction "in his heart" (2:12), Neh did not act abruptly. He acted in obedience by acting wisely before God.

There was a process that needed to take place. How could he rebuild a wall if he did not know where it was broken? How can we receive healing if we don't first become familiar with where we are broken?

If Neh didn't examine the prior state of the wall, he could not properly construct a new and improved version.  Don't we receive a diagnosis at the doctor's office before we are prescribed a treatment plan? I imagine another benefit would serve him as well... His familiarity with the old would prove the transformation ever more beautiful to him.

After Neh took the steps needed to begin the process of rebuilding what was broken, he shared his vision and his process with the people around him.

"Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace." I also told them about the gracious hand of my God on me and about what the king has said to me.they replied, "Let us start rebuilding." So they began this good work.  (emph mine- 2:17-18)

The people heard the good news of restoration, and they wanted it! They stepped up and signed up to be apart of what was happening! But more importantly, they started. 

Listen Love, that first brick you are laying in your process may not look like much, but it is a beginning! Whatever your mission is: to heal, to grow, to be obedient... that first brick means something. It lays a foundation for what is to come, another brick!! And another, and another! A wall starts with ONE BRICK.  Much like...becoming whole again starts with one choice.

AS SOON as their heart beat agreed with a "yes," their enemies came against them. Not in a rage, but in doubt and accusation.

"But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab heard about it, they mocked and ridiculed us. "What is this you are doing? They asked " Are you rebelling against the king?" - Chapter 2:19

Do not be alarmed by that doubtful voice that assaults and accuses you upon the beginning of a mission; expect it! When God plants good seeds in us, the enemy seeks to snatch them up before they begin to grow! Look how Neh responds in the face of mockery:

"The God of heaven will give us success." 2:20 (emph mine)

WILL GIVE us success. He was confident of what God has spoken to him, and that is how he approached his opposition! God will not call us to embark on something that will not bring Him glory! His glory IS our success, sweet one! He has made us whole in himself, and new through Jesus! When His glory is our goal, we cannot lose because we agree with Him. We are protected by His promise. We can step in confidence, and He calls us to do that:

"being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." - Philippians 1:6

He will not stop this work. Are we willing to lay the next brick with him?

Let's start today!

Nehemiah Day Three: Brick by Brick

Nehemiah Chapter Two: Prayers Come to Life!

So last time we left the scene with Nehemiah's face-down-all-out prayer to his God. He cried out of his grief for the vulnerability his people in Judah were experiencing. The broken down city wall they lamented symbolized despair and weakness, and literally left them exposed as a people. Nehemiah lived in Persia at the time, and as mentioned yesterday he worked as the cupbearer to the king.

You see, he had this unique position as cupbearer. Not only was Nehemiah trusted in his place of work... but trusted with someone's life...THE KING'S LIFE! This is telling about Neh's (nickname...your welcome) character. Tasting the king's wine for poison might not seem like the major we would choose in college these days, but it was a place of humble honor. Especially for someone that was a foreigner in Persia!

In his job I feel it's fair to say Neh must have been:  consistent, honest, reliable, trustworthy, humble.

You see God was about to act BIG TIME. God had brought Neh into a position for what was about to happen. Though the platform had been graciously given by God, if Neh did not do his part to be reputable and honorable to his earthly masters he might have missed out on an opportunity to serve God and his nation.

In the New Testament it is put like this:
"Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much." - Luke 16:10

So I wanted to talk about work because we actually catch back up with him in the palace in chapter two. Neh is going throughout his to day to duties before the king when his boss takes notice of his sad demeanor. "Why does your face look so sad when you are not ill? This can be nothing but sadness of the heart."- Neh. 2:2

Gulp. Cat's out of the bag... with a reputation of honesty, Neh knew he must be honest before his employer... aka THE KING (can't drive that point in enough!). Our buddy even tells us he was "very much afraid" in his response to the king. But in the face of fear, he speaks of what burdens him.

Very much to his surprise, the king implores "What is it you want?" -Neh. 2:4

The very next words on this bible page read... "Then I prayed to the God in heaven.."
Beautiful!!! In a moment's breath of the heart, Neh laid this before the Lord. I love it! Though we don't know the prayer he prayed, we see relationship Neh had built with God allowed him such communion! (Secret: We can have that, too darlings <3)! Neh could have jumped to conclusions. He could have spat off the first thing that impulse brought to his thoughts (which I fear I do far too often). But He prayed to the Lord, who knows the outcome of every situation and authored the encounter himself.

This section continues with Neh asking for time away (using va-cay days to work!), protection and transportation needs.

"And because the gracious hand of my God was on me, the king granted my requests." Neh 4:8.

Not only were his requests met, but the king supplied more.

More than what he needed. God outdoes himself when He sees obedience in our hearts, friends.

Though the king was the vessel of God's provision, do not be mistaken. God made this happen. God, who heard the prayers of a broke heart in the scene before. God, who had made a way before Neh ever knew the situation was approaching. God softened the heart of yet another king in history on behalf of the people that He loved, the people that were His.

If you belong to Jesus, he is ALWAYS working on your behalf for your good and His glory. <3
He hears your prayers, and makes a way that we might have never imaged.

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD." - Isaiah 55:8

They are better. They are higher. They are trustworthy.

Happy Monday, loves <3

Nehemiah Chapter Two: Prayers Come to Life!

Nehemiah Chapter One: Dude gets bad news

On a normal day... in a prestigious city... a working man was delivered some bad news.

We meet Nehemiah as he is in the citadel of Susa (Persia), aka a busy, hoppin place.
You see, Nehemiah held a position of honor and trust: the King of Persia's cupbearer (this is important, remember this for the future post!)
He is in the middle of his day to day transactions, possibly involving important meetings or errands for the king, and bam; here show up his family from Judah. (As family so lovely does at times :)).

Nehemiah questions the welfare of the remaining people left in his city, as there had been exile in previous years. He does not receive the answer his hope reached for.  His brother, Hanani, and company fill him in on the state of "trouble and disgrace" that fills his hometown.

The terrible news delivered:
"The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire." -Ch 1:3
Destroyed. Left alone.
The protection the city had known had been reduced to rubble. Those who had already survived an exile of their country were suffering from terrible vulnerability. You see, the wall served as a symbol of their protection, strength, and territory... and it had been demolished, stripped of its purpose. Gaping holes, rubbled rock, and shattered pieces.

I wonder if any of us have ever experienced a feeling of lost protection, vulnerability, and rubble. Have you ever felt left with pieces? Broken down from fires in life, and smashed where the lines between what is you and everything else in life blends together? I imagine this is the state the jews found themselves in.

At this horrible news Nehemiah's heart is broken. He mourns, and weeps, and fasts before God.
You see that last part is important... he brings his mourning before the Lord. In this prayer, Nehemiah faces the truth with God, and does not try to blame the Lord, but instead inquires of God the promises He had already laid out. He takes hold of what he knows to be true, and hold God to his word in confidence and humility:

"Yahweh, the God of heaven, the great and awe-inspiring God who keeps His gracious covenant with those who love Him and keep His commands, let Your eyes be open and Your ears be attentive to hear Your servant’s prayer that I now pray to You day and night for Your servants, the Israelites. I confess the sins we have committed against You. Both I and my father’s house have sinned. 7 We have acted corruptly toward You and have not kept the commands, statutes, and ordinances You gave Your servant Moses. 8 Please remember what You commanded Your servant Moses: “If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples. 9 But if you return to Me and carefully observe My commands, even though your exiles were banished to the ends of the earth, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place where I chose to have My name dwell.” 10 They are Your servants and Your people. You redeemed them by Your great power and strong hand. 11 Please, Lord, let Your ear be attentive to the prayer of Your servant and to that of Your servants who delight to revere Your name. Give Your servant success today, and have compassion on him in the presence of this man."

-Nehemiah 1:5-11

This story continues in a beautiful response from God that began with a proper response to horrible, devastating news.

Nehemiah took a posture of prayer when struck with pain, and God orchestrated a story of overwhelming restoration. 

Do you long for restoration? Sweetheart, our God is able to handle the extent of brokenness you feel. He felt brokenness to the highest extent on a cross, and a story rose from brokenness to save us from our rubble. The same God who's hole-handed body walked out of a grave is calling us out of our graves of hurt and hopelessness, and into light.

NO MATTER HOW BIG THE BROKENNESS, OR HOW SCARY THE FEAR, GOD IS AT WORK & ABLE TO SAVE YOU FROM IT.

Today can we ask Him how we can allow him to work more? To just do the very next thing: surrender to Him. <3
The best is yet to come... read on as I post to find out.

Nehemiah Chapter One: Dude gets bad news

Adaptation

Here in Tennessee we are currently experiencing an epidemic of psychological confusion...

The stinking weather. 

You see, one day I am bundled from from scarf to sock, braving the cold parking lot journeys (of which I am convinced double in length in pesky weather)...only to shed the layers as I leave for lunch, with windows down and sun on my face! Oh, the teases of spring! A heart can only take so much! Am I right, people? 

As simple as the shifting of the weather, doesn't it seem hard to continually prepare for what might be next without knowing? 

Scarves and socks prove minuscule when we face bank accounts and retirement plans, the losses of loved ones, and beginnings of jobs. Each moment is continually birthing a new one completely unique to itself, coming and going as quickly as its predecessor. As soon as we become comfortable with our the current state, we are aware we must constantly preparing for the next bullet point on our agenda.

So what about The Lord? Through my life the two consistencies I can recall are The Lord and change. In Hebrews 11, the "hall of faith", as my Michelle likes to call it, Moses' story is presented as an example for his ability to face change head on. From the home of humble jews, to the elite of the Egyptians, there could not be a more drastic story of change in his life. So what did he do? What do we do? 

"he persevered because he saw him who is invisible." -Hebrews 11:27

As we attempt our adaptations we can look at Moses' life and see how to approach whatever change is happening in our life: big or small, positive or negative, thrilling or terrifying (some of which are ahead of me, too!)

We can and must look to The Ever-Constant, The Solid Ground, The Never Changing, but always with us in ours.

Jesus is face of consistency. He began our stories, and numbered our days. He established the earth, yet He founded our footsteps. 

If we seek the Author, our adaptations will be still be necessary, but they will not consume us. 

Because really, the most important change is happening within us, as we trust and know our Savior more.

Adaptation

Eggs Among Ramblings

I watched my eggs boil yesterday.

I realize most sane people don’t watch their eggs boil, but hang with me. Growing up with a mom who practices skin care for a living, I was taught to stand over the steam when cooking to open up pores... (yet to see the benefit; sorry mom)!  As I hovered my head over steaming pot I peered and pondered. I watched armies of bubbles emerge from microscopic holes, marching hurriedly to the surface line by line.

For reasoning I cannot currently recollect, the change occurring inside these eggs struck my mind. Their outward appearance remained unchanged while the inside was actually completely transforming. As the heat rose on stove, what was liquid and contained solely by shell became of different substance, solid and firm. Their external circumstances shifted their internal being permanently. Though they appeared to be the same in shell as before their tasty transformation, they just were not!

“Pure gold put in the fire comes out of it proved pure; genuine faith put through this suffering comes out proved genuine. When Jesus wraps this all up, it's your faith, not your gold, that God will have on display as evidence of his victory. You never saw him, yet you love him. You still don't see him, yet you trust him - with laughter and singing. Because you kept on believing, you'll get what you're looking forward to: total salvation.”- 1 Peter 1:7-9

So, we’re like eggs, right? 

When the heat is up in the kitchen of our lives, we change. We just have to! When the chef of our life is preparing us for this eternal meal... (yeah?.. no?) the work is going on inside of us friends. The outside might not always seem to change.. aka our world might not immediately change around us, but that does not mean God is not at work within us, COMPLETELY transforming our state of substance. He firms us through fiery things, and tests us through steamy stirs. But he might not always do this by changing everything about our lives externally!

“Each person should remain in the situation they were in when God called them.”
-1 Corinthians 7:20

I’m learning that He uses my everyday job, my marriage, and my Murfreesboro to make massive changes inside of me. My “status” does not always present monumental changes publicly. He hasn’t called me across country our across state. He has called me to my neighbor, and an inconvenient client. He’s called me to my husband, and my church, the lady at the gas station, and muslim lady walking in my neighborhood. God changes us where we are, calls us as we are, and makes us something we could never be with out him!

I rushed over to write this in my journal, and as my husband woke up I shared with him my incredible discovery... to which he thought .... I married a crazy woman.

Then I ate my eggs :).

Eggs Among Ramblings