Hello,
How’s going? Here’s today’s Holy Nougat ™
I also made sure that the supply of wood for the altar and the first portions of the harvest were brought at the proper times. Remember this in my favor, O my God. Nehemiah 13:31 NLT
My initial reading of Nehemiah years ago was hard. It was somewhat off-putting to note his postscripts after each deed.
But then, a later reading helped me realize that
A. He was writing with no consciousness that there would be an extensive audience at a later time
B. He was writing to God.
And with that second realization came the awareness that Nehemiah truly believed in “Take it to the Lord in prayer”.
It’s not that Nehemiah had an easy road. His diary reflects fears, joys and a desire to please God. We don’t see him gossiping or even complaining to others when faced with the wall called Sanballat. He simply reported the scenario to the Lord.
The Restoration Project was his spiritual labor of love and dedication. Each day’s report chronicled his physical and spiritual progress. And he even asked the Lord to bear witness to his actions.
Armed with the knowledge of his invitation to the Lord, it is possible that Nehemiah actions would be intentionally aimed to please God.
And that’s the deal right there. Do our actions reflect our desire to please God? Is our life a daily diary, written to a loving God, recognising God’s presence in our day, engaging God’s presence and inviting God’s judgement of all our actions? I need to pull up my spiritual socks.
The conscious correlation between action and prayer invites us to see a practical application of ‘Pray without ceasing’.
His was a life dedicated to God’s service, even in exile. An intentional prayer journal written exclusively for God’s perusal. He found strength in allowing God to fight his battles; now there’s a living sacrifice we might emulate. Follow Nehemiah as he follows God.
May those who come behind us find us faithful
In Christ’s love and grace . . .
