If a complete stranger asked if he could borrow your car for a few hours, you’d probably say no. But you would surely say yes if a close friend made the same request. We can only put our full trust in someone we’ve come to know well. That’s one reason why the study of God’s attributes is vitally important to the believer. To know Him is to trust Him. To know Him is to worship Him.
Although we can learn much by studying each of His qualities, don’t expect them all to fit together easily as if you’re piecing together a puzzle. Does God’s love fit easily next to His wrath? Does His justice fit nicely with His grace? Never cease learning more about our exalted, mighty God; just leave room for mysterious words like unsearchable and unfathomable.
Nehemiah 11 recognizes the “willing unknowns,” a special group of people who served a vital function in Jerusalem but never saw their names in lights. We will consider also our own sacrificial service and learn to appreciate those who work behind-the-scenes in our homes, workplaces, and realms of leadership.
Put first things first with Pastor Chuck Swindoll as he demonstrates the importance of placing God above every other demand.
The prayer of the Jewish leadership looked in four directions: up to God in praise, back in thanksgiving, at the present circumstances, and ahead to the future. Model this kind of four-dimensional praying with Pastor Chuck Swindoll and watch your prayer life reach new heights!
In search of a solid foundation in the Law, they returned to Ezra, seeking insight—wisdom that could be built into their daily lives. They committed to clear away the rubble of wrong thinking and their old patterns of living, replacing them with obedience to the Lord and His Law. This biblical method for spiritual renovation is an excellent model for rebuilding our spiritual lives today.
Once the walls and gates were finally completed (Nehemiah 6:15), Nehemiah organized Jerusalem into a well-guarded, stable body of people (7:1-73). The beginnings of spiritual revival were taking place. And the potential for revival is always present in our own lives, if we just know where to look.
For months, Nehemiah led the project of rebuilding Jerusalem’s walls in spite of constant opposition, both subtle and overt. As the walls neared completion (Nehemiah 6:1), threatening foes once again assailed this leader. But this time the attack was much more insidious than before—the enemy attempted to intimidate Nehemiah through several frightening plots.
Grow in integrity today as Pastor Chuck Swindoll preaches on Nehemiah 5:14–19. Be someone who sticks to the path of godliness when your promotion comes.
The first 13 verses of Nehemiah 5 shine a spotlight on a dismal financial fiasco involving the workers. This problem caused the project to grind to a temporary halt while their leader guided them to a godly solution. Though our own tasks today are different, problems and difficulties will surely find us, and wise leaders will need to know how to handle them.
As we turn to Nehemiah 4:9-23, we find Nehemiah’s work crew discouraged for the first time since the project of rebuilding the walls around Jerusalem began. But what caused the discouragement? How did Nehemiah handle it? The answers to these questions apply directly to the discouragement many leaders face today.
Nehemiah 4:1–9 shows that Israel’s leader didn’t back down, and the wall kept going up. How did he do it? Nehemiah pressed into prayer. Listen to these prayers with Pastor Chuck Swindoll, and remember that, when God is in a project, it can’t fail!
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