Daily Discovery 24th August 2020 Devotional – The Real Work Begins
TODAY’S TOPIC: THE REAL WORK BEGINS
Opening Prayer: Dear God, renew my strength for my day-to-day walk with You.
Read Nehemiah 6:15—7:3
15 So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of Elul, in fifty-two days.
Opposition to the Completed Wall
16 When all our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and lost their self-confidence, because they realized that this work had been done with the help of our God.
17 Also, in those days the nobles of Judah were sending many letters to Tobiah, and replies from Tobiah kept coming to them. 18 For many in Judah were under oath to him, since he was son-in-law to Shekaniah son of Arah, and his son Jehohanan had married the daughter of Meshullam son of Berekiah. 19 Moreover, they kept reporting to me his good deeds and then telling him what I said. And Tobiah sent letters to intimidate me.
7 After the wall had been rebuilt and I had set the doors in place, the gatekeepers, the musicians and the Levites were appointed. 2 I put in charge of Jerusalem my brother Hanani, along with Hananiah the commander of the citadel, because he was a man of integrity and feared God more than most people do. 3 I said to them, “The gates of Jerusalem are not to be opened until the sun is hot. While the gatekeepers are still on duty, have them shut the doors and bar them. Also appoint residents of Jerusalem as guards, some at their posts and some near their own houses.”
New International Version (NIV)
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect: Daily Discovery 24th August 2020 Devotional
Do you find it hard to stay motivated to finish a project you’ve started?
Fifty-two days. Jerusalem’s walls had been in ruins for nearly 150 years; an earlier attempt at rebuilding had failed (Ezra 4:11–23). Then along came a man with vision, a plan and building materials (Neh. 2:7,8), and in under two months the job was done. But Nehemiah knew the work was only just beginning—not least because he was still getting hate-mail from Tobiah.
He knew that his task had not been to build a wall, but to restore God’s city. And cities need to be lived in.
Look at the three kinds of people Nehemiah appointed: gatekeepers, to ensure the city’s security; musicians, to lead the people in worship; and Levites, those who could teach the law. It was a very holistic understanding of what humans need to flourish—physical safety; wise teaching and worship; wholeness in body, mind and spirit.
Over them all, he appointed not just the most gifted leaders he could find, but people of integrity, who feared God. He knew that the heart was more important than any outward display of competence—but more on that theme tomorrow.
Apply: Do a quick “spiritual health-check”: do you feel secure in your assurance of salvation? Do you worship regularly in song? Are you receiving good biblical teaching?
Closing prayer
Lord, I am lacking in some of these areas of health and safety. Please supply my need and help me to act when You speak to me.
Through the Bible in One Year
Ecclesiastes 1–3 / 2 Thessalonians 1
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Daily Discovery 23rd August 2020
