Jesus taught that all scripture testifies about him so that in him we might have life (John 5v39-40). King David taught that it is only by living according to God's word that we're kept on the right path (Psalm 119v9). What then could be better than reading the entire Bible? Click the menu to read about the program, choose a month or Bible book - or just work through the blog posts day by day.
BEGIN WITH PRAYER
"Lord open my eyes and my heart."
Read
slowly so that you take in. And as you do, turn your heart to God,
thanking him for the good you discover and praying his will home for
you, your family, your church and the world.
Wisdom to chew on
Proverbs 31:4-7
Proverbs 31:4-7
Understanding to grow in
A famine had hit. Because of their involvement in the building those with many children hadn’t been able to produce enough grain. Others were having to mortgage their property to gain money for grain, whilst others were having to borrow money to pay taxes, probably to the Persian Empire. In the latter two cases, it was Jewish nobles and officials who were lending their fellow Jews the money they needed, but charging high interest (against Deut 23:20), forcing them to sell them their children as slaves in order to pay their debts (as Deut 15v12). Nehemiah is rightly angry, noting this shows no fear of God or concern to honour him before the Gentiles. He publicly commands the nobles and officials to return the property and interest, putting them on oath before the priests to do it, and prophetically praying God would remove them from their possessions if they break their promise. Moreover, as governor he refuses to tax the people for his gain as previous governors had, nor take land for him or his men, nor demand the food he might have done. And he did all this despite having to richly host various worthies (5v17-18). Fulfilling our responsibilities never justifies the oppression of others, and we should particular use our resources for the good of God's people. Nehemiah’s prayer simply acknowledges that God favours those who fear him, encouraging us to do as Nehemiah did. With the work almost finished the opposition is now against Nehemiah himself. Numerous times his opponents sought to entice him out of the city to harm him or cause conflict. Each time, Nehemiah saw through the ruse and found a way to dismiss the suggestion. It is futile for the Christian to engage those seeking to trip them up. Better to maintain focus on serving the LORD, and leave one’s defence to him (6v14). And just as the Jewish nobles colluded with Tobiah, Christians should be wary that some even in the church may seek to serve those opposing God’s people. It moved Nehemiah to put his brother in charge as someone who could be trusted and ensure security. What follows is a list of returnees used for the allotting of houses as they were rebuilt. One cannot but think of Christ's promise to prepare a room for us in the heavenly Jerusalem (Jn 14v2). As you read note Nehemiah's concern for God's people.
A famine had hit. Because of their involvement in the building those with many children hadn’t been able to produce enough grain. Others were having to mortgage their property to gain money for grain, whilst others were having to borrow money to pay taxes, probably to the Persian Empire. In the latter two cases, it was Jewish nobles and officials who were lending their fellow Jews the money they needed, but charging high interest (against Deut 23:20), forcing them to sell them their children as slaves in order to pay their debts (as Deut 15v12). Nehemiah is rightly angry, noting this shows no fear of God or concern to honour him before the Gentiles. He publicly commands the nobles and officials to return the property and interest, putting them on oath before the priests to do it, and prophetically praying God would remove them from their possessions if they break their promise. Moreover, as governor he refuses to tax the people for his gain as previous governors had, nor take land for him or his men, nor demand the food he might have done. And he did all this despite having to richly host various worthies (5v17-18). Fulfilling our responsibilities never justifies the oppression of others, and we should particular use our resources for the good of God's people. Nehemiah’s prayer simply acknowledges that God favours those who fear him, encouraging us to do as Nehemiah did. With the work almost finished the opposition is now against Nehemiah himself. Numerous times his opponents sought to entice him out of the city to harm him or cause conflict. Each time, Nehemiah saw through the ruse and found a way to dismiss the suggestion. It is futile for the Christian to engage those seeking to trip them up. Better to maintain focus on serving the LORD, and leave one’s defence to him (6v14). And just as the Jewish nobles colluded with Tobiah, Christians should be wary that some even in the church may seek to serve those opposing God’s people. It moved Nehemiah to put his brother in charge as someone who could be trusted and ensure security. What follows is a list of returnees used for the allotting of houses as they were rebuilt. One cannot but think of Christ's promise to prepare a room for us in the heavenly Jerusalem (Jn 14v2). As you read note Nehemiah's concern for God's people.
Finish this reading by pausing to ask yourself:
1) What’s the main thing it teaches me about God or his purposes in Christ? Then praise him for this.
2) What’s the main thing it teaches me about his will for me or the world? Then pray that home.
Devotion to offer up
You could read this aloud and perhaps as a springboard to further prayer.