Chester ARP Devotional Podcast

Nehemiah and the Jews completed the work God had given them to do. We must stay the course and complete the tasks God has given to us. 

Nehemiah remained strong in his conviction that he was going to complete the work God had given him to do. We should do the same. 

Christians don't have to dignify every opposing person or view with a response. Just keep your head down and pursue the Lord while working for his glory. Nehemiah is a wonderful example. 

Like any good leader, Nehemiah demonstrated to the nobles how they should be generous to the poor. We are to follow his lead. 

Nehemiah had to deal with a host of problems while leading the effort to rebuild Jerusalem's wall. One of them was social injustice, as the rich oppressed the poor by taking too many resources and charging exorbitant interest on loans. 

Nehemiah told the Judeans to build the wall while remaining vigilant, anticipating an attack from their enemies. We are to do the same as we serve the Lord. 

The Jews faced opposition from the locals when they began rebuilding the wall around Jerusalem. They prayed to God and prepared to defend the city and its people from attack. We can learn from them. 

Nehemiah divided the work of rebuilding the wall into parts. The families had the responsibility to build parts of the wall. We are to use our gifts and participate in the ministry God has given us. 

Nehemiah wisely returned to Jerusalem quietly, evaluated the work needed, and prepared the plan before he told anyone about his work. 

Nehemiah told King Artaxerxes that he needed to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the city's wall. The king agreed because God was with Nehemiah. 

Nehemiah prayed when he received the bleak report about the situation with the Jews in Jerusalem. He confessed sin and expressed his confidence in our gracious and powerful Lord. 

Nehemiah received a report from Jerusalem regarding the situation the Jews faced after they rebuilt the Temple. It was bleak. 

The Judeans decided that obedience to God was more important than anything else. Therefore, they took the necessary steps to return to the Lord for his glory and grace. He forgave them of their sins and restored them to the land of promise. 

The Judeans understood they had messed up when they intermarried with the Canaanite women, with all their idolatry and abominations against the Lord. They confessed and repented of their sins. 

God had been good to the returning exiles by giving them the opportunities and resources to build a new Temple and reinhabit their homeland. They had sinned against him with intermarriage. Something had to give. 

Ezra found that the returned exiles had intermarried with the Canaanites and embraced their abominable practices of religion. 

Ezra leads a band of exiles returning to Jerusalem and calls for the Levites to guard the vessels as they rest in the provision and protection of God. 

The king sent Ezra to Jerusalem to teach the people how to live in a relationship with God. 

The Jews had a renewed vigor in their celebration of the Passover after the Temple was completed. God had been faithful, and they knew it.  

The Jews celebrated God's goodness when the Temple was rebuilt entirely. 

Our Lord always provides everything we need to accomplish his purposes in our lives. The Jews who rebuilt the Temple are yet another example of his gracious provision. 

The Jews continued working on the Temple while they waited for King Darius's response to the governor's letter. They wisely appealed to the truth and faithfully trusted the Lord. 

The local governor challenged the Jews when they were rebuilding the Lord's Temple in Jerusalem, but God's eyes were upon them. He enabled them to continue the work. 

King Artaxerxes sent word to Jerusalem to tell the Jews to stop building the Temple immediately. THey had to listen. 

The locals sent a letter to King Artaxerxes informing him of the Jews' work to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem because they were afraid of losing their homes.