Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity, but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty. (Proverbs 21:5) How difficult it is to find a person who thinks first and then acts! Most of us usually do the opposite. Equally difficult is helping people maintain proper priorities and to use time wisely. I admire Nehemiah because he […]
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Revival at the Water Gate
They read from the Book of the Law of God and clearly explained the meaning of what was being read, helping the people understand each passage. (Nehemiah 8:8) Tucked away in the old book of Nehemiah is the first recorded revival. And of all places, the revival occurred at the Water Gate. According to Nehemiah […]
Read MoreEven as the Enemy Blasts, God Builds
They were just trying to intimidate us, imagining that they could discourage us and stop the work. So I continued the work with even greater determination. (Nehemiah 6:9) Sanballat’s weapon of choice was rumour, which has at least two distinctive characteristics. First, a source is never declared. Note the vague reference, “It is reported among […]
Read MoreDoing a Great Work
“I am engaged in a great work, so I can’t come. Why should I stop working to come and meet with you?” (Nehemiah 6:3) If you are a leader, you spend a lot of your time either on the top or on the bottom. You’re either hero or villain; respected or reviled. Rarely anything between […]
Read MoreMaking Wrong Things Right
Preach the word of God. Be prepared, whether the time is favourable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching. (2 Timothy 4:2) A good leader does not stop with rebuke. Nehemiah took steps to correct problems—steps we should take first as leaders when we are wrong and steps we should […]
Read MoreAdvancing on Your Knees
We worked early and late, from sunrise to sunset. And half the men were always on guard. (Nehemiah 4:21) “So we built the wall and the whole wall was joined together to half its height, for the people had a mind to work” (Nehemiah 4:6 NASB). Critics demoralise. Leaders encourage. When the critics spoke, the […]
Read MoreThe Price of Leadership
We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. (2 Corinthians 4:8–9) Anyone who steps into the arena of leadership must be prepared to pay […]
Read MoreThe Leader and Criticism
They replied at once, “Yes, let’s rebuild the wall!” So they began the good work. But when Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem the Arab heard of our plan, they scoffed contemptuously. “What are you doing? Are you rebelling against the king?” they asked. (Nehemiah 2:18–19) Nehemiah knew that he and the people of Jerusalem were doing […]
Read MoreEnough Is Enough
Today’s devotional has one primary objective: to help you enjoy yourself, your life, and your Lord more . . . without feeling guilty or unspiritual. Yes, enjoy! In our work-worshiping society, that is no small task. Many have cultivated such an unrealistic standard of high-level achievement that a neurotic compulsion to perform, to produce, to accomplish the maximum is now the rule rather than the exception. Enough is no longer enough.
Read MoreFollow Jesus as Your Shepherd
Everyone follows someone. Even the leaders we most admire walk in someone else’s footsteps. It’s not a matter of if we’ll follow someone, because we all do. The question is whom? We long to follow someone who will lead us the right way. We’re like sheep, looking for a shepherd who truly cares and knows what’s best […]
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