Nehemiah - answer to his prayer

Nehemiah 1:11
Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name. Give your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man.”

Nehemiah burdened by the state of his people, tarried on prayers. Nehemiah did not pray “God, make the situation  better” or “God, send someone to fix this problem.” Instead, his prayer was “God, use me to make it better.” He realised that he himself was the answer to his prayers.

Very often we pray, “Lord, comfort this sister”, without knowing that we are supposed to go and comfort that sister.
We pray, “Lord, meet their need”, when God has given us the Providence to meet that need.
We pray, “Lord, send someone to revive the group”, when God has already anointed us to do that.

Seldom we realise that we are the answers for our own prayers. May we be with Nehemiah, do not wait for someone to come/to be sent, instead go and serve, with God given strength! 

God, use me to make it better!!

Isaiah 6:8
Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ”Whom shall I send? And who will go for us? ”And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”

Nehemiah - I am not the only one!

“Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name.”
‭‭Nehemiah‬ ‭1:11‬

When Nehemiah had presented his own personal supplication, he felt certain there were others who were also praying to the Lord, so he said, “And to that of your servants who delight to revere your name.”  There are other good people elsewhere in the world, and there are other people who are as earnest in prayer as we are.

If we begin to suppose that we are the only ones left who hold sound doctrine, we will become bigots.
And if we think we are the only praying persons on the earth, we will most likely prove to be self-righteous.
If we fancy we are the only ones who have a deep spiritual experience, probably we will be doing a great wrong to the Lord’s other servants and speaking evil of those he has accepted.

It is far better to believe with Nehemiah that our prayerful voice is not a solitary one and that there are many who, like ourselves, cry day and night to God. If we take a hopeful view of things, we will more likely be near the mark than if we judge others severely and imagine ourselves to be the Lord’s only faithful servants.

C.H.Spurgeon

Romans 11:3-4
“Lord, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars;  I am the only one left, and they are trying to kill me”? And what was God’s answer to him? “I have reserved for myself seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal.”

Nehemiah - on God’s call

Nehemiah 1:3-4
They said to me, “Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire.” When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven.

In the ancient world, a city without walls was a city completely open and vulnerable to its enemies. They had no defence, no protection at all. Those living in an un-walled city lived in constant stress and tension; they never knew when they might be attacked and brutalised. Every man lived in constant fear for his wife and children.

This pathetic situation of Israelite and their prayers went unto the Lord’s presence. God saw the need but little would be done until the right man also felt the need. We might think that an important man like Nehemiah had more important things to think about, than a distant city(800 miles) he had never been to, and a people he had mostly never met. Yet, because his heart was for the things of God, the things that broke God’s heart broke Nehemiah’s heart too.

God was going to use Nehemiah to do something about this situation. But first, God did something in Nehemiah. Historical evidences say Nehemiah prayed for 4 months before he went before the King. Nehemiah waited upon the Lord in fasting and prayer, God worked in his heart.  Any great work of God begins with God doing a great work in somebody.

Sisters, we come across many people with spiritual needs around us, do we hear God’s call in those needs?  When we set our hearts on God and His Kingdom, we will definitely hear God’s call to “Go and preach the Good News!”. May we not neglect God given burdens in our heart and may we be open to God’s call and His work in our hearts!!

Matthew 9:37
The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.

Nehemiah - a man of Humility

Nehemiah 1:6-7
I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father’s family, have committed against you. We have acted very wickedly toward you. We have not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws you gave your servant Moses.

Nehemiah was not even probably born when the Israelite were taken into exile. But he identified himself with the sins of his father and forefathers, humbled himself and sought for God’s reconciliation with the nation. This is how Jesus got the world reconciled to God. Nehemiah here portrays the character of Jesus, who humbled Himself, made Himself a sacrifice for the sins of the world.

But how are we in times of conflicts? 
Do we humble ourselves even when the opponent sin against us? 
Jesus took the first step to reconcile even when the problem was with us, the opponents. 
Do we take the first step in reconciliation? 

Matthew 5:23-24
Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.

We had a conflict with a friend’s family 15 years ago. The problem was with my friend’s father who hurt us badly with words and deeds. There was no communication between the families since then. My friend’s father passed away few years later.

My friend after 15 years contacted me, I was very happy to hear from her after a long time. And the first word she spoke was “Please forgive us”. My friend didn’t make any mistake , but still, even after those many long years, she put herself in place of her father and implored me for forgiveness. I said “I don’t have anything against you”, but she replied “we as a family did that, please forgive us, pls say you are forgiven” ..It really moved my heart and made me to see the beauty of Christ living in her.

May the Lord help us to follow His footsteps, to humble ourselves even if the mistake is not with us, and to take the first step of reconciliation!

Nehemiah - A Man of Prayer

Nehemiah 1:3-4
They said to me, “Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire. When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven.

The city wall and gates stand for city’s protection, separation and reputation. Nehemiah was in a secular job and was not a prophet like Isaiah  nor a teacher of law like Ezra, yet he had a tremendous burden for the city of Jerusalem and his people. He wept, mourned, fasted and prayed not for his personal sorrows nor for his reputation in his secular work but for the city of the Lord and His people. 

The word “mourn” speaks of great sorrow like sorrow of death. When Nehemiah thought about his city and people, he had tears, he had a deep sorrow like a loved one died which lead him to fast and pray without ceasing for few days.

When was the last time we mourned, not for the sorrows of our own, but for the broken walls of the church, families and individuals? When was the last time we grieved over the reputation of the Lord, that the name of our Lord being dishonoured among us? 

Ezekiel 22:30And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none.

Concern for His People

Nehemiah 1:1-2
The words of Nehemiah the son of Hacaliah. Now it happened in the month of Chislev, in the twentieth year, as I was in Susa the citadel, that Hanani, one of my brothers, came with certain men from Judah. And I asked them concerning the Jews who escaped, who had survived the exile, and concerning Jerusalem.

Nehemiah was in a very safe place. He was in Susa, the winter capital of Persia, in the Citadel, a fortified palace on a high ground above the city. He was in a high ranked position, close to the King, being the cup bearer. Being in such a safe, luxurious, comfort zone, he had no reason to have thoughts of his home country. But we find that Nehemiah was concerned enough to find out the state of the exiles who had returned and of Jerusalem.

This is the primary characteristic of any man whom God uses - he has a concern for people and then God gives him a burden. If you want to serve the Lord, begin with a concern for others. God never uses a man who has no concern for others.

• Do we have concern for the Neighbour living next door?
• For the unbelieving friends whom we meet everyday? 
• For the people who suffer before our eyes? 

May not the comfort zone that we live in, make us insensible to the cries of the needy. 

May we not fool ourselves like the priest and Levite, thinking we are spiritual, while leaving the dying man on the road! May we be like the Good Samaritan who had pity and concern on the dying man! 

Romans 9:2-3I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my people, those of my own race

Teach Them Dilligently to Your Children

Nehemiah 1:2 

that Hanani, one of my brothers, came with certain men from Judah. And I asked them concerning the Jews who escaped, who had survived the exile, and concerning Jerusalem.  

As per the historical evidences, Nehemiah was born in exile. He grew up in an environment far different from that of his home country, probably more sinful, more alluring. He was in a very good position at the King’s palace, but still he remembered his brothers and his home country. Though born and brought up in an ungodly environment, though being in a luxurious position couldn’t make him forget his home country. I believe, this was possible because of his parents teaching him about God and His nation day and night.

Deuteronomy 11:19

You shall teach them to your children, talking of them when you are sitting in your house, and when you are walking by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.

We worry very much about our children growing up in an ungodly world, with lot of distractions and attractions towards the world. But the encouragement is that when we make most of the opportunities prayerfully to share about God when they sit, stand, when they walk in the road, when they lie down, God will honour our efforts and tune our children’s heart towards His Kingdom.

Our evenings are quite busy, Isaac use to have German tuition, cooking, dinner, cleaning and winding up, feeding Ana, family prayer.. at the end, i will be very tired and will be rushing to bed after making Ana sleep. When I am about to close my eyes, Isaac used to nag me “Amma, story”. I used to be very tired and I used to tell him to “count till 200 in your heart and then I will tell u a story”, I don’t know whether he counts but both of us will fall sleep. But yesterday this verse really spoke to my heart. Bedtime story is an opportunity to share about God!! Then I rose up from the bed, took a biblical story book and read to him. The story ended up with a great truth and isaac slept then. I was happy that I could obey the Spirit’s prompt to teach Isaac about God when he lied down. I hope Holy Spirit works in heart through that story.

May we take up efforts to teach our children, when we don’t take efforts to teach them to follow Christ, this world will teach them not to!!!

The book of Nehemiah - Introduction

Why read this book?

If you’ve ever faced an overwhelming task or felt inadequate to meet a challenge, you’ll be able to identify with Nehemiah. He struggled with issues still with us today: motivation, fatigue and criticism. But this book also offers inspiration and vision. Without neglecting the practical, Nehemiah shows how to tackle God’s difficult assignments and survive both opposition and apathy.

Who wrote this book?

Probably the writer of Ezra (which was originally combined with Nehemiah) who many think also wrote 1 and 2 Chronicles. He likely drew from Nehemiah’s memoirs and from census records.

What were the historical circumstances surrounding it?

The Babylonians conquered Israel in 586 B.C. Persia, in turn, conquered Babylon (539 B.C.) and later allowed the Jews to return to Jerusalem. By 445 B.C., however, the challenges of rebuilding their homeland had demoralized them. Under Zerubbabel, the returned exiles had rebuilt the temple, but the walls of the city remained in rubble.

Why was it written?

To remind God’s people of their spiritual heritage and to keep them from becoming careless toward the Lord.

When was it written?

The incidents occurred between 444 and 432 B.C. The book was probably compiled about 430 B.C., though no one knows for sure.


(From the Quest Study Bible)