God at Work

Day three hundred thirty-four

I am thankful for sleep this morning, I so needed to sleep in!  It's amazing what sleep does for my attitude and perspective. As always the Lord knows what he is talking about when he tells us that we need to rest!  So grateful for the gospel in my life!

Esther 2

There are times in our lives when we feel like we have no control over what is happening.  I imagine Esther had this same thought run through her head a time or two; her life was filled with events that she had no control over.  A closer look at the events of Esther's life will help us see that even when we are not in control, God is, and He is putting everything and everyone in position to ensure His plans come through.

We left chapter 1 with king Ahasuerus banishing his wife, Vashti, for refusing to degrade herself by parading in front of a bunch of drunken men.  Chapter 2 starts with "After these things..." What things?  The thing with Queen Vashti?  No, there is much more that goes on between chapters 1 and 2.

The Bible doesn't give us a record of what happened, but the history books tell us that the king led a great army against the Greeks.  There were several battles and he was soundly beaten.  The power was about to pass from Persia to Greece as Daniel had prophesied years before! 

After his defeat the king returned in deep dejection to his palace. Added to his misery was the absence of his queen and the fact that the law of the Persians could not be altered, even by the king himself. Vashti could never be his queen again.  This left an opening to be filled and it just happens that God has the perfect person for the job! 

So the servants are watching the king and they are aware of his state of mind. They know that something must be done, so they suggest a beauty pageant for the king to choose a new queen.  This pleases the king and so the search begins.

This is where we really start to see the hand of God working in the palace.  He is arranging the events so that at the proper time He will have someone to intervene in behalf of His people, the Jews.

We learn of Mordecai and Esther, two people who seem like the unlikeliest choice for God to work through.  Mordicai is a Jew whose family was taken into captivity and brought to Persia.  Esther is his orphaned cousin, whom he chooses to raise after his uncle is killed. 

Imagine living in a foreign country where there was a dictatorship in power, you have no rights and your life is not your own. You are an orphan and you are a woman which means you have no rights what so ever, you are regarded as a piece of property. And on top of all of that you are a minority in that country, a minority that is hated and looked on with suspicion. The only good thing happening in your life is you are being raised by a cousin who has done a good job of raising you as his daughter. Raising you in the ways of the Lord. That is the life that Esther was living!

Then just when you think life will be okay, along comes a king in need of a queen and decides he will have a beauty pageant to find one.  He makes a decree that all the girls deemed beautiful would be brought to the palace to prepare for this pageant.  Esther is described as fair and beautiful, she will be among those taken to the palace.  It should be noted that this wasn't an exciting event for Esther, she was taken.  Taken against her will, by force.  She was a reluctant participant in this whole thing.

I want to stop at this point in the story and ponder what I would have done in this situation.  It is easy for us to see God at work in Esther's life now, but I don't imagine she is seeing it that way. I have a hard time seeing God at work in my own life sometimes and rarely is it in the middle of what is going on.  When life feels out of control my first thought is not that God is busy working out His plan for my life.  My thoughts usually lean more towards, "Why is this happening to me?"

Back to our story:

So beautiful girls are gathered from all 127 provinces to the palace (Josephus tells us there were about 400 girls).  So Esther catches the eye of Hegai (v 9), there is something about her that he really likes. Notice the phrase in verse 9 "she obtained kindness of him."

The literal translation of the original language is: She lifted up grace before his face. That is an awesome expression, one worthy of taking note of. Her countenance was grace magnified.  Here she is taken against her will, thrust into this pageant with all these other girls (the competition and atmosphere had to be intense) and in the midst of all that Esther did not display a sour attitude. She didn’t display an “it is all about me attitude”.  Instead she chose to model grace before this influential servant of the king.

What a great trait! What do I model in difficulty? I don't know if I would call it grace, it is more like complaining, grumpy, downcast, woe is me, and my life is so hard.  I am working on it!

Because of her grace, God blesses her for it.  She receives some special attention. It is obvious that God is working here.  Maybe I need to change my actions and try grace instead of the usual.  There are some times when I could really use some special attention!

There is so much to ponder in this story.  So much to learn! I am looking at the events in my own life and starting to see that God has been working in it for a long time.  Those out of control moments had a purpose and it wasn't just to make my life difficult. It makes me wish that I had shown a little more grace through these situations and a lot more gratitude.  The saving grace is that there will always be another opportunity to put what I have learned into action.  That's just the way He works!

Hurt

Day three hundred thirty-three

Today started out looking like it would be a good day.  I am hopeful that it still can be a good day, but first I have to deal with some unpleasant business.  Something happened to me this morning that put a big old scratch across my rose-colored glasses and for some reason really hurt my feelings.  I am not an overly sensitive person, but there are some factors that make this one a little hard to swallow.

Throughout this year of scripture study I have been trying to apply the lessons I have learned to my life.  I have made an effort to work on character traits that I think are important to be a disciple of Christ.  Lately I have been working on humility.  I can't help but see the humility in the great men and women in the scriptures and think that there is room for improvement in my life. 

Humility encompasses a large area, so I chose one area within this trait to focus on: Humility in service.  My goal is to give service for the right reasons, not for reward or recognition.  When you seek after praise or gain for service, it seems to take away from the Spirit.  Service should enhance the Spirit, not take it away.

My goal would soon be tested.  I won't go into detail, but I was not comfortable with something that was asked of me.  I know that I am not alone in my feelings of awkwardness, others have expressed similar feelings, but I was the only one to express my concerns.

This brought about an Old Testament moment where I shared my beliefs and someone turned around and made fun of me.  It was not easy for me to share my concerns; I feared something like this would happen.  But after all I've been reading in the scriptures I felt like I would not be true to myself if I didn't speak up.  Besides these are fellow Christians, what could go wrong?

I think that's what hurt the most, that the people who were laughing were Christians.  We are supposed to stick together and build each other up, not tear each other down when we are trying so hard to do what is right.  I only know that this happened because there were a few people there that felt that it was inappropriate and said something to me.  I am grateful for their support, it means a lot to me.

So this happened when I wasn't there to defend myself.  When I heard about it I wasn't sure how I wanted to react.  I was hurt and not sure where to turn.  Luckily the Lord has been teaching me about prayer all year long and instead of getting defensive and retaliating I decided to pray about it.  I will admit that there were a few times during my prayer that I felt like crying, but I didn't want to give those that offended me the satisfaction (that's my stubbornness showing.)

There is something about heartfelt prayer that takes away the hurt.  By the time I was done praying the Lord had put things in perspective for me, and the realization that this incident means nothing in the long run was planted in my heart.  My eternal salvation does not depend on what these people think of me, it only matters what God thinks.  There is comfort in that truth for me.

I will be around these same people again, but I can choose how I want to react.  I can choose to remain hurt and let it ruin my day and my relationships with these people, or I can wait and let the Spirit guide me in what I should do.  I think there is wisdom in the second choice.

This is not the first time that I have been made fun of for my beliefs and I am sure it won't be the last.  To be honest the more I look at this situation with a spiritual outlook, I see a test of humility being given.  I knew that I was not strong enough to deal with this on my own, I needed His help.  I had to humble myself and lean on the Lord (that's the way He likes it!)  I'm sure the Lord is looking at me saying, "Finally, she's getting it!"

I am grateful that God's love is more than enough to take away the hurt. I am grateful for His wisdom to put me in situations where I have to put what He is teaching me in action.  I am grateful for all the effort that He puts into my life.  I am grateful for the possibility of not just a good day, but a great day ahead.

Self-worth

Day three hundred thirty-two

We had an interesting discussion on motivation last night at my house.  There was a list of 20 tips to motivate people that we read through.  It was interesting, but I wanted to know how someone could motivate themselves.  What makes people do the things or not do the things they know they should?  This was a much harder topic to discuss because not everyone is motivated by the same thing.  For some self-motivation comes easy and for others it is a daily battle, why is that?

There was no definitive answer to these questions, but it was interesting to think about what really motivates each of us.  I have been blessed with the ability to motivate myself.  My family thinks I am too motivated sometimes, which may be true, but I don't know how to be any other way.  And after last night I am really grateful for this inner drive that I have.  I think the Lord knew I would need it to get through this life and be the person He needs me to be.  So I thanked Him for this wonderful gift and for the opportunities He gives me each day to be motivated to do what is right. It is nice to know that He blesses us with all the things we need to get through this life! 

Esther 1

In this chapter the Persian king called Ahasuerus, has been throwing a huge party as a display of his wealth and power.  He is looking for support from the leaders of the surrounding areas to attack the Grecian army.  There was a lot of schmoozing going on at this party, along with a large amount of drinking. 

After seven days of partying the king calls for his wife, Vashti, to be brought to him.  His guests had seen all the beauty of the kingdom and now he wanted everyone to see Vashti, his treasure, his crowning jewel, as it were.  He wanted to parade her in front of these men.

But Queen Vashti refuses to come at the king's command (v 12).   Why would she refuse?

Alexander Whyte, a nineteenth century Scottish pastor wrote, "The sacred writer makes us respect Queen Vashti amid all her disgusting surroundings ...The brave queen refused to obey it [the King's command]. Her beauty was her own and her husband’s; it was not for open show among hundreds of half drunk men."

Good for her! Queen Vashti shows she is not going to be degraded in this way!  She has some self-worth!  I can't help but admire her for this decision.  She sacrificed all the glamour and wealth of being a queen for the sake of personal dignity.  She would not be a sexual pawn, to be shown off as a piece of property or to be leered at by drunken men. She was willing to sacrifice her crown for the sake of her character.

Vashti's story got me thinking of all the young girls and women that are being inundated with media telling them to compromise their self-worth.  What is their reputation worth? How far are they willing to go in order to win praise and attention?  Are they sacrificing their character on the altar of acceptance?

It breaks my heart to see them following the latest immodest trends and baring far more than is necessary in hopes of getting the attention of the opposite sex.  They follow the lifestyles of those that society has deemed as "stars" in hopes of getting the same attention.  It's too bad that more of them don’t choose to be like Queen Vashti and less like Lady Gaga.

I worry that we are raising a generation that isn't willing to sacrifice for their own dignity.  Acceptance seems to be more important than doing what is right.  There are few who are willing to be that example anymore.  It has become more about personal gratification at whatever the cost. 

Think about the last time you did the right thing and paid the price for it? Do you remember what it cost you? A relationship? A job? A passing grade?  These are hard things to give up, they are painful and stay with us.  It takes a strong character to make such sacrifices and to live with the consequences. 

Take heart from this story, it is worth it. It cost Queen Vashti everything, but her actions were recorded and passed on for generations to help teach us this lesson.  Her fame has gone on to surpass any attention that we could get from compromising in our own time.  Her example has affected millions of lives throughout many generations.  You can't get much bigger than that.

I know that my view on this topic is not a popular one. There is plenty of opposition to tell people that my views are old fashioned, out of date, and even considered religious fanaticism in some circles.  I could cave to the pressure and sit quietly, holding my tongue, watching the world go by, but I don't think I could live with myself if I did that.  I share a trait with Queen Vashti, I know that I have self-worth and I hope to be an example to those around me that character matters. My words and actions may not change millions of lives, but I know that they might change at least one persons life, and that makes the sacrifice of my "coolness factor" totally worth it. 

Looking For God

Day three hundred thirty-one

Ugh I am sick today!  This puts a crimp in my church going and my taking of the sacrament.  I know it sounds silly, but I look forward to taking the sacrament and starting my week by thinking of the Lord.  It makes the start of my week feel like a fresh beginning and keeps me focused on what is important.  I will survive, but it means a little more work on my part to get spiritually refilled. Okay I am done whining. 

I prayed this morning that the Lord would bless my body that it might overcome this illness and that I would be able to keep the Spirit with me this week.  I expressed gratitude that the Lord knows my heart and my intentions, so He understands where I am coming from today. And I let Him know how much I love Him.  Hopefully I will feel better soon. 

Esther Introduction

There are some people in the scriptures that touch your heart more than others; Esther is one of those people for me.  She is someone special.  Her story gives me strength and courage to do what is right in my own life and it reminds me that the Lord is at work in all our lives.

As important as her story is to me, her story is sacred to the Jewish people because of her courage and defense of her people.  The Jewish holiday of Purim celebrates the story of Esther and commemorates the saving of the Jewish people from extermination.  She is a heroine to her people and an example for those of us today that read her story.  Her story is one of providence, perseverance, patience, love, obedience, courage, virtue, intelligence, and hope. All things that a strong woman of today needs.

The actual Book of Esther has some interesting traits of its own.  The time frame of this book is between chapters 6 and 7 of the Book of Ezra.  That puts these events between when  Zerubbabel lead the first return from the Babylonian captivity (Ezra 1-6) and when Ezra leads the second return from captivity (Ezra 7-10).  It depicts the lives of those Jews who stayed on in Persia during this same period of time.

The book of Esther is not without controversy.  The name of God is not mentioned in this book, and thus, many people, including Martin Luther, felt it should not be part of the Old Testament scriptures. There are no prayers, no sacrifices, no offerings, no worship in this book. Because of this, many feel that it is just a great story, but does not belong in the scriptures. I disagree.  I think we see God at work in every verse; you just have to look for Him. God is working behind the scenes, orchestrating the people, the situations, for His ultimate purpose. As G. Campbell Morgan wrote, "While there is no name of God, and no mention of the Hebrew religion anywhere, no one reads this book without being conscious of God."

The story stands as a wonderful reminder of how God is often at work behind the scenes working in unseen ways in the events of our lives as well. God works in our lives this same way; sometimes the things that God is doing today are not really for today, they are for five years, or twelve years down the road.  And it may take that long before we really see what God had in mind.  Then when we look back and see God's hand was there guiding us, and God was overseeing the whole program. 

It's exciting when the cycle comes around and we can look back and see the hand of God in our lives.  It is hard when we are going through it, we find ourselves asking, "Where is He?"  But once our eyes are opened and we see He was there the whole time our testimonies are strengthened and we are more likely to let Him work through us.

Esther is one of those stories where God is laying out years in advance for His purposes to be fulfilled at a strategic moment of history. This story is not only entertaining, but edifying. It encourages faith and hope in God's people in the most difficult and dangerous of times.  

What you get out of this story is completely up to you. It is up to you as the reader to look for God in Esther's story.  That is the challenge, to see God behind the scenes and then to apply it to our own lives and see Him working in our own story.  It's all about looking for God.

Lessons to Remember

Day three hundred thirty

This morning I am grateful for the ability to see God in the everyday things.  His love is seen in the way my husband looks at me and smiles at me.  It is in the conversations that I have with my sons.  I see it in the smiles that strangers give me and in the small acts of kindness that I see people do for each other.  He is truly a great God that touches the hearts of many people to do good.  For that I am so grateful, especially at this time of year when people can be rude and selfish.  I need these everyday things as reminders that He is still there and He still loves us.

Nehemiah 13

Today we come to the end of the Book of Nehemiah.  Let me fill you in on what has happened between chapters 10-12.

Chapter 10 - we saw the people re-establish their commitments to the Lord

Chapter 11 - they re-populate the city

Chapter 12 - they dedicate the wall and there is a great celebration 

It would have been great if the book had ended with this scene of dancing, singing, and celebration.  But this is the Old Testament we are talking about and so chapter 13 finds the people breaking every promise they had made in chapter 10! 

After the great celebration in Chapter 12, Nehemiah has to go back to Persia to fulfill his commitment to the King.  The length of his absence is not documented, but it is safe to say he was gone for at least a few years.  Chapter 13 is what went on when he came back to Jerusalem.   

Nehemiah finds some serious problems among the people, including at the temple.  Needless to say, Nehemiah takes on the challenge of getting the people back on track.  He takes each problem head on and reminds them of the need to remember God.  My favorite verse in this chapter is verse 31: "...Remember me, O my God, for good."  That statement says a lot about where Nehemiah’s heart was.  I would like the Lord to remember me that way too! 

Nehemiah has been a great teacher to me during my study of his book. I have come across some great insights into the lessons he was trying to teach the people.  Here are a few that I will remember him for:

1. It’s never too late to do what’s right. Even though God’s people had messed up pretty bad, it didn’t disqualify them from service or ruin their relationship with God. Don’t let your past keep you from doing what is right. You can look back, but you need to keep moving forward.

2. Don’t play around with sin. Nehemiah dealt with sin decisively and abruptly. Most of us underestimate our sinfulness and overestimate our goodness. We tend to lean towards compromise.  Don’t get too cozy with compromise. We have to be vigilant.

3. Remember who God is. He is great and revered. That means that He is large and He is in charge! He is also good…all the time. Even when bad things happen to us, He is good. And, He is gracious. He doesn’t treat us as we deserve but always grants us grace and fresh starts.

4. Cultivate a lifestyle of praise and prayer. God desires for each of us to worship Him with reverence and with joy, both individually and as a group. When we pray, we should pray doctrinally and also be ready to give those "quickie" prayers. 

5. Move out of your comfort zone. Most of us are way too comfortable with the way we’re living. We tend to default to what is predictable and easy. God wants us to be available to Him. When He asks us to do something that stretches us, let’s be ready to move!

6. Don’t let difficulties derail you. When hard times come, and they will, don’t bail on God. God allows tough times in our lives for a purpose. Use them to get closer to Him and ask Him to develop your character through the process.

7. Seek to resolve relational disputes. As we spend time with people, we are bound to have conflict and disagreements. Each of us sin against others, and others sin against us. Don’t allow this conflict to go underground. Meet face-to-face and seek resolution.

8. Say “yes” to God’s priorities and “no” to the devil’s distractions. God wants us to live purposeful lives, focused on those things that matter to Him. Satan seeks to get us off track through busyness and selfishness. Commit yourself to God’s priorities, specifically as it relates to your time, your talents, and your treasures.

9. Believe the promises of God and act upon them. While it can be helpful to make promises, or vows, to God, it’s more important to believe the promises of God and act accordingly. Believe in what God has promised to do for you and ask Him to give you the tenacity to take Him at His Word.

10. Allow God to use you. God takes great pleasure in using people who are available to Him. You don’t have to be a super saint or a spiritual giant. God delights in using ordinary people like us so that His extraordinary power can be unleashed in our lives.

There you go Nehemiah's Top Ten Lessons to Remember.  I am a little sad to see it end; I got so much out of these 13 chapters.  I learned a lot about how to deal with real life issues, which is always useful.  I learned how to be a better disciple of Christ.  And I learned to pray that God will remember me for good. Hopefully I can live up to that request! 

Looking Back and Moving Forward

Day three hundred twenty-nine

I had a great Thanksgiving with my family.  It was nice to prepare a meal together and to enjoy each others company. With everyone's work schedules being different we haven't spent as much time together as we used to.  I am very blessed that we all get along and really love each other.  I caught myself thinking; as the boys get older how many more Thanksgivings will we have together? I am a bit spoiled in that department and I know it.  I haven't had to share them with anyone yet, but I am aware that day will come. And then I will have to once again find my place in their life.

So my prayer this morning was filled with gratitude for the blessings that have come into my life through my children.  I appreciate that the Lord trusts me enough to give them to me and loves me enough to bless me through them.  I feel His love in my family each day.

Nehemiah 9

In chapter 9 the people of Jerusalem are finding themselves in a period of confession and reflection as they try to dedicate themselves to the Lord.  The celebration and joy they experienced in chapter 8 has tempered and the mood is more somber.   

I have had those somber moods too.  Self-reflection has a way of making you feel that way.  It is easy to get caught up in the negative feelings and miss the joy when you are feeling inadequate and sorrowful for your sins.  Its okay to ponder on these things, but it isn't healthy to dwell on them.

In response to this, the Levites decide to give a prayer.  This is one of the longest prayers recorded in the scriptures.  It is in this prayer that the people are asked to look back and see the things worth praising, the things that reveal the Lord’s faithfulness in the lives of His people. As I read through the prayer I decided to apply it to my life, to make it personal, so I put "me" in whenever it was talking about the people:

God is my creator and the maker of everything (v 6)

He calls me to be one of His people (vv 7-8)

God deliverers me from sin and its enslavement (vv 9-12)

God cares for me (vv 13-15)

He is patient and forgiving with me (vv 16-21)

He gives me victories (vv 22-25)

He chastens me (vv 26-31)

He restores me (vv 32-37) 

Looking back inspires the people to look forward. They decide to rededicate themselves to the Lord: 

"And because of all this we make a sure covenant, and write it; and our princes, Levites, and priests, seal unto it." (v 38) 

They are once again feeling the energy that comes from a renewed testimony brought about by the "good spirit'' that the Lord gave to instruct them (v 20). They want to make a promise to God, have it written down, and be witnessed.  There is some serious commitment showing here. 

Now I don't know how I would have reacted to this situation, I am not a fan of long public prayers.  But condensing it into these 8 points really got me thinking about how awesome God is and how personal my relationship is with Him.  I found myself feeling like the people of Jerusalem; thankful for what He has done for me in the past, and inspired to move forward. Once again I find myself motivated to make changes in my life in order to grow closer to God because of a prayer given thousands of years ago.  I hope someday that my prayers and my words will inspire others to do the same.   

Thanks and Giving

Day three hundred twenty-eight

Today we celebrate Thanksgiving.  It is a day dedicated to giving thanks.  But as I thought about how to make my Thanksgiving Day more meaningful, I discovered the importance of looking at this one word as two separate words: Thanks and Giving.  

Thanks 
I have talked about the quote board that my family uses in previous posts.  What started out as a chore board ended up being a place for us to silently express some of our deepest thoughts. The latest thought on the board is:  I have been blessed with...

Each of my family members has responded to this thought.  Some responses have been funny and some have been profound.  My husband’s response was deeply profound for me.  His response was one word - enough.  

I have been thinking about his answer more and more as the holiday drew nearer.  This is the time of year when people aren't looking to be satisfied with what they have, but looking forward to what they will get when Christmas Day comes. Amongst this frenzy of want, here is a person who understands that what he has is enough.  His answer gives truth to the saying, "He who can give thanks for a little will always find he has enough." We may not have all that we want, but the reality of it is that we truly do have enough.  

As I search through my mind to make the traditional list of what I am grateful for on this day, I think at the top of my list will be: A husband who helps me keep my perspective.  He has an amazing gift of teaching with simplicity that I truly appreciate. In the spouse department the Lord has blessed me with more than enough!  

Giving
While researching for one of my posts I came across this quote:

"The circumstances of your life have uniquely qualified you to make a contribution. And if you don't make that contribution, nobody else can make it."  ~Rabbi Harold S. Kushner

What a great gift we have been given in our uniqueness.  We have been designed and nurtured to complete a job specific to us.  Because of this we know that the Lord is ever present in our lives, helping us develop into this perfectly unique being. 

Did you notice that as a unique being we are asked to make a contribution?  We have to give something back to the Lord for the privilege of becoming who we are.  He has a job for us to do and the best gift we can give Him, the best way we can say thank you, is to do that job.  

Thanksgiving has become more than just being grateful for the blessings in my life, it has become a day to think about how the Lord is trying to use me to do His work.  Deeper questions pop into my mind: Am I giving Him everything I can?  Are there things in my life that I need to change so that my contribution, my special job, can be accomplished?  

What I thought would be just another Thanksgiving day has turned into something so much more.  My gratitude for what I have been given has been greatly increased and my understanding of who I am, and what I need to be giving, has grown.  I have discovered a spiritual side to Thanksgiving that I hadn't recognized before. It is more than just being thankful for what I have, it is also a time to reflect on, and improve on, the things I am willing to GIVE to the Lord.  

On this Thanksgiving Day I hope that everyone's hearts will be filled with gratitude for having enough.  I also hope that their hearts might be filled with joy for their uniqueness and their opportunity to use it to give to the Lord and draw closer to Him.  May Thanksgiving be a day to not only feed our bodies, but also our spirits! Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Loving the Scriptures

Day three hundred twenty-seven

At work they have begun playing Christmas songs.  There is something about these songs that brings the singer out in people.  We had so many customers singing or humming along with the CD's.  I loved it!  It meant that it was okay for me to do it too!  I thanked the Lord for such inspiring music; music that touches the hearts of so many people and invites the Spirit to be there.  It just makes my day!    

Nehemiah 8

In this chapter we move from rebuilding the city, to rebuilding the people.  This is one of my favorite chapters because it focuses on the goodness of the scriptures and the life changing power they hold.  As a former seminary teacher I can really appreciate what is going on in this chapter.

One of the ways that the Lord rebuilds His people is through the scriptures.  Whenever they need to be redirected, refocused, or revitalized the Lord turns them to the scriptures.  In this chapter the people actually gather and ask for the scriptures to be read to them!  They had finished rebuilding their city and the walls and in the process realized that maybe they needed to work on themselves. 

Why didn't they read them themselves?  The people weren't familiar with the language they were written in.  There had been so many nations interacting with each other that languages had changed.  So they ask for help, "and they spake unto Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded to Israel." (v 1)

Ezra was a great choice to lead the people in studying the word of God. Ezra 7:10 gives us some insight into what kind of man he was: “For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments." He was committed to personal study of the Law, he looked for ways to apply them to his life, and then he taught it to others. Ezra must have been a master teacher because verse 3 tells us that the people listened attentively from morning until lunchtime.  That's about six hours! This goes on for a week! 

I have tasted a little bit of the joy that Ezra must have felt when the people asked him to teach the scriptures and then they sat for six hours and listened.  My group of twenty-seven students would come each morning to learn about the scriptures for about an hour before they were off to school.  There were days when the Spirit was definitely in the class, so much so, that none of us wanted to leave.  Those are the days you live for as a teacher!

As Ezra read and the small group of leaders explained, the congregation’s first response was one of conviction and grief (v 9). Guilt is one reaction that can come from studying the scriptures. The people wept because they knew they had been neglecting God’s word. 

It can be hard to look at the way you are living and realize that you aren't living as God would like you to.  When you recognize how much God loves you and the beauty of His plan, the ugliness of our own hearts can be tough to face.

Nehemiah recognizes what's going on and wants them to know that they shouldn't be too sad, instead they need to celebrate the change of heart they are feeling.

Assisted by the Levites, Nehemiah convinces the people to stop mourning and start celebrating (v 10-12). 

"Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the Lord is your strength.  So the Levites stilled all the people, saying, Hold your peace, for the day is holy; neither be ye grieved.  And all the people went their way to eat, and to drink, and to send portions, and to make great mirth, because they had understood the words that were declared unto them."

Did you catch that? When people understand the word of God, it brings them joy. We need to understand that the scriptures aren't “magic books” that change us just because we read them.  They must be understood before they can enter our heart and create the desire to change a life. The word, “understanding” is used six times in this chapter, which shows that the scriptures are meant to be understood, which naturally brings joy.

There is something awesome in watching the Spirit grab hold of someone's heart so strongly that they feel inclined to change their lives.  Maybe they stop swearing, drinking, or whatever their vice is; the important part is that they do it because they feel God's love for them.  I have talked about the power of words in my blog before and the divine power that inspired the scriptures has the power to inspire people to change! 

I have been blessed to see this happen in the lives of some of my students.  There is no greater gift for a teacher than to see the divine power of the scriptures touch the hearts of their students.  Ezra must have been on cloud nine as he watched the people's hearts soften!  I know that my testimony of the scriptures and the power of God's love increased enormously with these experiences.

It gets better!  The people not only have a change of heart, but they actually apply it to their lives and take action (vv 14-18).  This is the dream come true!  What a perfect scenario!  First they hear the word (which they asked for), then their hearts are touched by the Spirit, then they are moved to change their behavior, and then they do it.  This is a great example of the gospel in action! 

If you hadn't noticed my enthusiasm for the scriptures is a little extreme.  I love the scriptures and the changes it can bring to a person's life.  I have seen it in my own life.  This year of studying the scriptures everyday and writing about it has blessed me with "very great gladness" like that experienced in Jerusalem during this time of Ezra.  I hope and pray that everyone will look to the scriptures for redirection, refocusing, and revitalization and feel that same joy!  

Distractions

Day three hundred twenty-six

Today I prayed with gratitude for answered prayers.  I survived yesterday and I am feeling better today. I am so grateful that He hears me!

Nehemiah 6

So far in our study of the rebuilding of the wall in Jerusalem we have seen some tactics of the enemy at work.  In chapter 4 the work on the wall was threatened by discouragement, in chapter 5 it was strife and division, and in chapter 6 the enemies choice of tactic is distractions.

For me this is the biggest reason my projects remain unfinished. There are just too many distractions.  I get pulled away by this or that and the next thing I know time has flown by and I never got back to the original project!  This can lead to frustration and discouragement and the vicious cycle begins. 

So let's see what Nehemiah can teach us about dealing with distractions.

For Nehemiah the distractions come in three different forms: Invitation, Insinuation, and Intimidation. In each case the enemy is trying to distract Nehemiah from the work of finishing the wall.  We are going to see that Nehemiah doesn't get distracted because of discernment.  Discernment is the ability to judge matters according to God's view of them and not according to their outward appearance.

Invitation (vv 1-4)

"That Sanballat and Geshem sent unto me, saying, Come, let us meet together in some one of the villages in the plain of Ono. But they thought to do me mischief." (v 2)

At first this might appear as a friendly invitation to meet and talk about the concerns of all parties involved.  But Nehemiah shares his inner thoughts about this when he says, "But they thought to do me harm."  Nehemiah realized they were trying to isolate him to get him by himself so they could hurt him.  Satan tries to do the same thing to us: Get us alone and try to harm us.  And he does it by placing things in our lives that appear so inviting sometimes. 

Satan is persistent here; notice the invitation comes 4 times (v 4).  Nehemiah responded with the same answer each time: 

"I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you?" (v 3) 

Nehemiah knew that what he was working on was God's work.  He had the proper perspective.  How do I view my work?  If I knew that what I was doing was God's work would I be less likely to be distracted? Even the tasks like cleaning the house can fall under God's work, but if I don't see it that way it makes it less appealing and I allow myself to be distracted.  Remember God sees our work as a great work; it is part of His great plan.  If He sees it that way why shouldn't we? 

Insinuation (vv 6-7) 

"It is reported among the heathen, and Gashmy saith it, that thou and the Jews think to rebel: for which cause thou buildest the wall, that thou mayest be their king, according to these words.  And thou hast also appointed prophets to preach of thee at Jerusalem, saying, There is a king in Judah: and now shall it be reported to the king according to these words. Come now therefore, and let us take counsel together." 

Here is what is going on here.  A messenger shows up with an open letter, this means that it was to be read in the hearing of everybody. 

The key phrase is "it is reported among the heathen ".  In other words, the surrounding nations are all saying this is true. The rumor is that Nehemiah wants to be king.  This is pure insinuation. It is suggested that this is the reason he is rebuilding the walls and why he is so eager to get these walls built.  

What is the big deal about that? Well if that got back to the king in Persia and he believed it, it would cost Nehemiah his head and the people of Israel would be squashed again. 

The enemy wants to get Nehemiah side tracked by trying to defend himself against rumors.  This rumor was meant to hurt Nehemiah and to make the people afraid and weaken their resolve. 

As a Christian, people will watch you.  They pay attention to what you say, how you act, and even what you have.  It is part of the price we pay for our beliefs; it is life in a fish bowl.  Because people are watching, they are also going to talk about us, it comes with the territory. 

How does Nehemiah deal with this attack?  He knows the accusations are not true and this is not what is in his heart.  He doesn't mount an elaborate defense trying to prove that these accusations are false.  He understands that you don't satisfy men like Sanballat with facts, explanations, and evidence. You can only satisfy them by giving in to their demands, and Nehemiah would not do that!  Instead he basically says, "You are lying, that is not my heart and I trust that the people know that."  And then he says a short prayer, "Now therefore, O God, strengthen my hands." (v 9) 

That's all we can do when we find ourselves in this situation.  We let God be our defense.  Nehemiah was wise enough not to get caught up in this distraction; he realized that it would be a complete waste of time and energy.  There were more important things to be concerned with.  How much better would our lives be if we approached this distraction in the same manner? 

Intimidation (v 10) 

"Afterward I came unto the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah the son of Mehetabeel, who was shut up; and he said, Let us meet together in the house of God, within the temple, and let us shut the doors of the temple: for they will come to slay thee; yea, in the night will they come to slay thee." 

Since the others didn't have any effect on Nehemiah, Shemiah who was of the priestly line takes a turn.  He is trying to set Nehemiah up by getting him to run to the temple for safety. 

Notice Nehemiah’s response: 

"Should such a man as I flee? and who is there, that, being as I am, would go into the temple to save his life? I will not go in." 

It was forbidden for a layman to go beyond the altar of burnt offering at the temple (Num 18:7).  Now it was at this point that Nehemiah realized that something was wrong. Something wasn’t right; Shemiah is contradicting God’s word. 

There is a great lesson for us in this: Anytime someone has a word for you that doesn’t line up with scriptures – Reject it!  God is not going to give a command that is going to contradict the written word. 

Nehemiah rejected it. He was not distracted because he clung to the what he knew was in the scriptures.  He would not compromise. Having right priorities gave Nehemiah the courage to do what was right.  

This part of the story really made me appreciate the fact that we have the scriptures so readily available to us today.  We have so many opportunities to learn God's word and to prepare ourselves for intimidation battles.  In Nehemiah's case knowing the scriptures allowed him the gift of discernment.  We could all use such a gift in our lives! 

There are two things that I took from this chapter that I need to work on: 

Practice saying, “yes” to God’s priorities. The best way to not be distracted is by being attracted to those things that are on the heart of God. 

Practice saying, “no” to the devil’s distractions.  I need to read my scriptures, say my prayers, and ask the Spirit to help me identify those things that are distracting me from God’s priorities.  Then I need to not waste my time on them, but put them behind me and move forward.

I am excited to put these things into practice and see how much more productive I can be without all the distractions! 

Strife Within

Day three hundred twenty-five

Rough night, not feeling so hot and I needed to teach seminary and go to work today.  So I prayed that the Lord would bless my body with the health and energy that I will need to get things done today.  I got through seminary now I just need to hold on for work!

Nehemiah 5
As we come to chapter five, our community of Jerusalem is starting to self-destruct because of some festering grievances. The workers now face a new enemy who is harder to conquer than the previous ones. The timing could not have been worse because the walls are almost done!

Nehemiah will have to turn his attention from the construction of the wall, to the walls that were being put up between his workers. While their external enemies helped to rally the people, internal conflict threatened to divide and destroy them.

There’s a word in verse 1 that sets the tone for chapter 5 – it’s the word, “against.” Strife was brewing, tension was mounting, and the people were complaining.  In the midst of a “great work” (4:19) for a “great God” (1:5), in 5:1 “the men and their wives raised a great outcry against their Jewish brothers.” This was not just a little disagreement or a minor problem. They weren’t crying out against the Samaritans or the Ammonites, but against their own people!

This group that had rallied together, who had a mind to work, who were rejoicing in the greatness of their God, were suddenly dealing with internal strife and division.  One of the things that does the most harm to God’s work is dissention among God’s people. If the work was going to succeed unity would be essential.

It is interesting that this chapter should be what I am studying today.  I have found myself in a few situations where strife within a group is present.  The sad part is that these groups are filled with Christians who know better.  So my full attention is on Nehemiah and how he deals with the situation.

The Problems
Economically times were hard, the people were dealing with famine (v 3), and the city had not been tilled and cultivated to meet all the demands of the hundreds of people who had suddenly flooded in to build the wall. The current crop could not meet the demands and there was a shortage of food supplies.

Not only that, but the people were also dealing with heavy taxation that was coming down from the Persian king who was ruling at this time. So in order to get food and to pay their taxes the people were borrowing against their farms and their homes.

To top it off the rulers and nobles were charging interest on the people, which was clearly against what God had commanded them to do (Deut 23:19-20) and when someone couldn't pay back their loan the lenders were taking their homes, their land, and in some cases their children for slaves.  This was also forbidden by the Lord (Lev 25:39-41). 

I sympathize with the people who were struggling; I would have a hard time accepting these conditions too.  I probably would have been a loud complainer!

Nehemiah's Reaction
Nehemiah becomes angry (v 6).  This is an appropriate reaction for Nehemiah.  He is not angry at the people for crying out, but for the injustice being done against them.  This was not the flaring up of a sinful temper but the expression of righteous indignation at the way the rulers were oppressing their brothers.

His was a holy anger against sin, and he knew that he had the Law of God behind him. He was angry at the greed and lack of compassion shown by the rulers. He is angry that their actions were affecting the unity of the people and stopping the work. 

He consulted before he confronted (v 7).    Nehemiah was a man passionate enough to get angry; but wise enough to not act until he had considered the matter carefully.  His reaction is what it should be, he takes the time to think it through, to prepare his heart, and to create a plan of action.

I can definitely learn something from Nehemiah. This is an area I need to work on.  I tend to react the way of the natural man instead of the responding by the Spirit. 

Taking Action
He rebuked the offenders (vv 7-10).  Nehemiah starts by rebuking these guys – He calls them on the carpet and points out where they were wrong. 

First he reminds them that these were their brothers – He uses the term brother or brethren 4 times in these verses (v 7). He appealed to their love. We are all family!

Second thing that he does is remind them that they have been redeemed (v 8).  God had set them free, they were out of bondage.  Nehemiah asks them, "How could you put your brethren back into bondage?"  That's a good question for us to ponder in our own situations with strife.  Are our actions hindering the progress of another towards Christ?

Third thing that Nehemiah does is he reminds them of the word of God and their need to walk in the fear of God (v 9).  Walking in the fear of God means that I am not looking at what is best for me but what is best in God’s eyes.  If a situation benefits me but is outside of the boundaries of God’s will then I don’t want any part of it

Fourth, Nehemiah tells them that they need to remember that they are to be examples to others (v 9).  Their behavior would be a reproach to the other nations.  They were to be an example to the other nations of how to treat each other. The problem was they were acting just like the surrounding nations, there was no difference.  

He corrected the offenders (v 11).  Nehemiah exhorts them to make the situation right by restoring what they had taken, their lands and their houses.  He also told the brokers to restore both the interest and the security that they had taken from their fellow Jews.  He doesn't just rebuke, but he has an answer and a plan for them to follow (v 12).

He holds them accountable (v 12). He asks the money lenders to make a promise that they will do what he has asked, and he asked them to do it with a priest as a witness.  It's his way of saying that the promise isn't just between men, but between them and the Lord.

He led by example (vv 14-19).  Nehemiah became the governor in Israel, a position of honor and privilege.  Yet he didn't use any of that privilege, instead he sacrificed and he gave.  He chose to give instead of take from the people.  He fed 150 people at his table daily, including visitors. 

How can I apply Nehemiah's experience to my own?  It has got me thinking about a few things:

There is a direct correlation between the effectiveness of our work and how we treat each other. 

Relationship problems are inevitable and we can’t ignore them.

We must take the initiative to restore relationships whether we want to or not.

God’s reputation is at stake when we have conflict.

It's the last one that really gets me.  When we love the Lord we truly don't want to do anything that would tarnish His reputation.  I am motivated to NOT be the cause of strife and to work on rebuilding those relationships that are currently struggling.  Unity is important to God’s work.  We are all on the same team!