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!