Nehemiah Ch.1-13

This book records the history of the third return to Jerusalem after captivity, telling how the walls were rebuilt and the people restored in their faith. “So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of Elul, in fifty-two days. When all our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and lost their self-confidence, because they realized that this work had been done with the help of our God.” (6:15)

Nehemiah did not just complain and talk about the problems at hand; he was a man of action. He knew God could use his talents to get the job done. He organized, managed, supervised, encouraged, met opposition, confronted injustice and kept going until the walls were rebuilt. We may not have tangible walls to rebuild, but we often have relationships that require rebuilding; a spouse, parents, children, coworkers, etc. Many people say that relationships require work, but are they really taking the action to see that work through? Theories are as meaningless as potential unless these great raw materials are set into motion. God isn’t going to lift you off your couch and present miracles that will change your state of mind and your reality; He invites us into a relationship which means being accountable, using the beautiful minds he gave us, working in a partnership with him and living his principles.

Nehemiah’s life is an example of leadership and organization. He gave up riches and comfort to rally the people to rebuild Jerusalem with God as his leader. Leaders are typically the most attacked, ridiculed and scrutinized. In the face of opposition, Nehemiah practiced wise defense measures to keep the project moving and provide inspiration for his people. To be a leader for God, we must pray, persevere, and sacrifice. God uses each person in a unique way to accomplish his purposes.

There are mega themes in this book that every leader should consider. The vision, the prayer, the honor and responsibility or leadership, problems and revival. God put the vision to rebuild the walls in Nehemiah’s heart. Does God have a vision for you? Are there “walls” that need to be built or rebuilt in your life or in this world? God wants his people to be trained and united. God can give you the desire to “build” and the vision and supernatural power to carry it through. Prayer is critical when leading people and projects. When Nehemiah began his work, he recognized the problem, immediately prayed, and then acted on the problem. Through prayer, God guides our preparation, teamwork, and diligent efforts to carry out his will. Think about it; why do you think our society is dominated by routine and steroid-paced lifestyle? Don’t you think that is the perfect position the evil forces want us in so that we don’t notice our lives moving ahead, truly experiencing joy and peace, or taking the time to slow down to hear God’s voice? That is part of his master-minded plan for destroying our lives and separating us from God because if we are so self-consumed with “what WE have to do” and immersed in our routines; we are like dead men walking. We are of no threat because we are too stuck on ourselves to be open to hearing the miraculous ways God can create profound meaning out of our existence. Nehemiah demonstrated what it takes to earn a leadership role; he was spiritually ready to heed God’s call. He used careful planning, teamwork, problem solving, courage and perseverance. Every leader followers a greater leader; there is no greater leader than God. The problems Nehemiah faced and what many leaders face include scorn, slander, threats from our enemies, fear, conflict and discouragement. There are no triumphs without great troubles and when problems do arise; it is wise to confront them squarely and press on to complete God’s work. The revival aspect of leaders completing work for God involves not only completing the task, but also rebuilding lives spiritually. Most people don’t welcome change and this is seem by repetitive action no matter what the lip service dictates; revival requires reform or it’s not revival, but a mere expression of enthusiasm. Again, I saw to all of us; quit talking and start acting.

Although deeply grieved by the fall of Jerusalem, Nehemiah did not just brood over it. After his initial grief, he prayed and poured his heart out to God and then looked for ways to improve the situation. Moving beyond brooding to a specific action that helps those who need it is a great platform to allow God to come in and bring victory. Heartfelt prayers can help clarify many things: any problem you may be facing, God’s great power to help you, and the job you have to do. Many times when we take the time to have true intimacy with your creator; where we can decipher what are our twisted thoughts and what are messages from Him, by the end of the time, we know what action to take with clarity. It’s helpful to take a pen and paper when you pray because many thoughts come to mind and God will give you visions and pearls you don’t want to forget. We show God we are serious when we combine prayer with thought, preparation, and effort.

Persevering for any major task is tiring and can foster discouragement. The only cure for fatigue and discouragement is focusing on God’s purposes. Many people in Natural Health and Wellness strongly believe in the correlation between positive/negative thought directly impacting our physical health. Taking positive thought further to where it belongs; I believe that when we focus our thoughts on God, that process alone is healing for our spirits and our physical being. In the height of fatigue and exhaustion, Nehemiah reminded his people of their calling, their goal, and God’s protection. Many of our goals can be self-centered, superficial and meaningless which is reason for the lack of follow-through to completion; but when we remember God’s purpose for our lives and we know we are working for God and his special purpose for the project; that should give us a blazing energy to see it through.

Nehemiah is a man I admire and as I adopt the principles he lived by, there are key qualities he had that stir in my own heart. Biblical figures and stories are deeper and wider than we could ever fully grasp; but one thing I know for sure, as you study these, the Holy Spirit will speak to you. That grumbling in my heart that relates to Nehemiah indicates some common spiritual gifts we share. I believe the Holy Spirit is speaking to me though his story in a very specific way and that in itself is miraculous. Nehemiah was a man of character, persistence and prayer. A brilliant planner, organizer and motivator. He was capable of blunt honesty with his people no matter their response; he spoke truth. Nehemiah carried no shame or hesitation and went directly to the person who could help him the most; this gets important jobs done; being fearless, trusting God and not being concerned what anyone else thinks so long as you are following God. He got firsthand information and carefully considered the situation, and then presented a realistic strategy. Planning ahead will bring success and often time jumping into a project leads to trouble. Nehemiah kept his mission a secret while he planned carefully and this is an idea I admire. He avoided unhealthy gossip about his arrival and plans to prevent enemies from being alerted to his plans. He demonstrates what it takes to do real service for God; to talk to God and to walk with God. Spiritual renewal often begins with one person’s vision. When God plants an idea in your mind, share it with others and trust the Holy Spirit to inspire them with thoughts. Many times God will use one person to express the vision and others to turn it into reality. Encouraging and inspiring others puts teamwork in action and accomplishes goals for God.

Nehemiah used the example of Solomon’s mistakes to teach his people. King Solomon, the wisest man to ever live fell because of the influence of unbelievers. While God wants all to come to him, he warns believers to stay away from those bent on evil (Proverbs 24:1), as many times this was the cause of their spiritual bondage. Nehemiah reminds us that our gifts and strengths won’t be of much benefit if we fail to deal with our weaknesses. A tendency to sin must be acknowledged and dealt with swiftly; otherwise, it may overpower you and bring you down. We can learn the mistakes of God’s people and not repeat them.

Nehemiah’s lift story offers many principles of leadership: 1) Have a clear purpose and keep evaluating it in light of God’s will. Nothing prevented Nehemiah from staying on track, 2) Be straight forward and honest. He spoke the truth even if it made his goal harder to achieve, 3) Live above reproach. The accusations against him were empty and false, 4) Be a person of constant prayer, deriving power and wisdom from God. Nehemiah always gave God the glory for his accomplishments. Nehemiah accomplished a huge task against massive odds because he learned that there is no success with without the risk of failure, no reward without hard work, no opportunity without criticism, and no true leadership without faith in God. When we take our eyes off God, our lives begin to crumble; this book is about rebuilding the wall of a great city with God’s leadership, but also about spiritual renewal because accomplishing any great task involves a physical and spiritual dependence on God.