Lessons from Nehemiah

A few weeks ago while in my local Lifeway Christian store to pick up some music, I found myself drawn to Kelly Minter's Bible study on the book of Nehemiah. I took a look and walked away, convincing myself that I simply didn't have time right now to start a new Bible study. My daily Bible reading was just going to have to suffice during this tremendously busy season. I proceeded to move to the check-out.

When I got to the front of the store, I was a little frustrated because of the exceptionally long line. The cashiers were at their wit's end; it was then that I learned that the computers were running slowly. Since it was clear this was not going to be a quick exit, I started to browse the shelves at the front of the store. What did I see? Minter's Nehemiah study. I picked it up to make sure the video segments could be downloaded before purchasing. I added the study to my items, but put it back while waiting. The entire study just looked too feminine for me at the moment.

While we were waiting in line, a sales associate came to the front to help. When she passed me, she asked if I had taken a look at any of the Bible studies and then proceeded to recommend Nehemiah as one of her favorites. It was then that I sensed the Spirit ask me how long it was going to take me to follow His promptings. I finally got the message......

Today, I'm approaching the halfway point of the study and confess that I believe it was ordained by God for me to dive into this Old Testament book at this time in my life. The reminder of Nehemiah's faithfulness to the desire that God had birthed within him (rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem) has become more meaningful to me than ever before. See, I always knew that Nehemiah built the walls with God's help, but I have never really considered the enormous amount of conflict that came against him while trying to obey God. Not only were his enemies trying to intimidate him, Nehemiah also dealt with negativity from the very ones that should have been his biggest allies -- other Jews!

As Nehemiah prayed throughout the entire process, God moved supernaturally and aided Nehemiah in accomplishing a great task that brought glory to God and restored Jerusalem's glory. But God had other plans for Nehemiah....the task didn't end just because the walls were rebuilt. The city was massive, but it was empty. God had Nehemiah get involved in bringing the people of God back to the city.  How easy it would have been for Nehemiah to declare his job done when the walls were finished. However, he understood that the walls were quite meaningless if he lost sight of the people they were meant to protect. In my own ministry efforts, may I never lose sight of the people that God pursues as I do the work of ministry -- building the wall one section at a time.

I'll be completely honest. Nehemiah is not a book that I had ever really taken the time to explore before. When I started the study, I expected to learn some history I didn't know. What I have found instead is a life-changing book with the hand of God clearly at work in the lives of people on every page. Nehemiah is filled with treasures; every once in a while, you just have to dig below the surface a bit to find the jewel!

What have been your experiences with the book of Nehemiah? I'd love to hear insights that God has revealed to you. Please take a moment and share in the comment section below.