Nehemiah 5:14-7:73, 1 Corinthians 8:1-13, Psalm 33:1-11, Proverbs 21:8-10
Today is the 13th day of August, welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I am Brian and it is great to be here with you today, today and every day. Literally, every day. It’s wonderful to gather around the Global Campfire and take the next step forward together. So, that next step forward leads us to the place where we left off, which happens to be in the book of Nehemiah, in the Old Testament. And so, let’s dive in and take the next step forward, which will be Nehemiah chapter 5 verse 14 through 7 verse 73, today.
Commentary:
Okay so, in the book of Nehemiah, we see this completion of a dream, a goal, to rebuild the wall around Jerusalem, but we probably should have noticed is that, as they got closer to the conclusion, to the completion of the goal, things got more difficult. Which can often be the case right, in any kind of project that we are on, finishing, just finishing is so difficult sometimes. And that’s when the whole thing can fall apart, after we’ve used all of the energy to get somewhere just finishing, can be a problem. We see Nehemiah continuing forward, continuing to turn to God and he explains some things that even reveal more of his heart. Though the why, what’s going on inside of him, because he has been appointed a governor and he is entitled to certain things to get, to get paid. In certain ways, things that he is allowed to impose upon the people so that, so that he’s enriched, and he’s cared for and what Nehemiah showed us in his narrative today was, although there’s nothing wrong with that, it’s not what he did. Like, he carried a burden of his own, so as not to impose a heavier burden on a people who are already working really, really hard toward a goal and who had already been exploited by their own people. And so, he’s paying out of his own pocket to support himself and those that he is charged to care for so that, the people are burdened and so that the…the goal can be achieved. So, that they can finish, so that they can continue to move forward. Nehemiah, even reported to us in the reading today that Jerusalem had a wall around it, and it was spacious inside right, because Jerusalem had been destroyed. So, there’s a city wall but it’s spacious inside, it’s ruins on the inside and he comments that they did not buy any land. We can be like, whatever, who cares but this is Jerusalem, and this is a city that has a wall around it now and he has led the building of that wall. And it would seem like at walled city called Jerusalem, that the real estate inside that wall, would be valuable and would only grow. And so, for him to comment that, he didn’t even mess with that, he didn’t even by any land, like a ground-floor opportunity that he created, and he didn’t exploit the opportunity. So, that reveals a lot about what’s going on inside of Nehemiah and his heart toward this is goal of rebuilding the wall. And then this ridicule and threatening and taunting and threatening ambush, this kind of stuff, actually turns political. Nehemiah’s enemies wanted to come down from Jerusalem, come down from the wall and have a summit meeting, because rumors are flying around that Nehemiah wants to make himself king and he’s gonna finish this wall and he’s going to declare himself king and he’s got false prophets ready to prophesy and he’s gonna take over. And surely that’s going to get back to the king of Persia, so they’re trying to intimidate him to come to the summit meeting with they’re likely to taken captive or kill him and they even have trusted leaders inside the city trying to set Nehemiah up, trying to get them to flee to the temple where he will look weak because the enemy is coming and Nehemiah’s like, how can, I mean, I can’t do that. How can a person in my position, go run and hide in the temple? But then he realizes, they’re trying to discredit me, even some of the people on the inside here, are trying to discredit me. It’s almost as if, Nehemiah had a compass that pointed to his true North and he consulted that at every single step of the way to make sure that his orientation was correct and that true North was that he turned to God in everything, knowing that he had a mission to accomplish, that God had provided for and it cared for and affirmed and that was what he was there to do. He wasn’t there to acquire rental property inside the city of Jerusalem. He wasn’t there to leave the project, to go deal with the politics of the situation, even though those, they were threatening that the politics were threatening and were they to be believed, Nehemiah would be arrested and probably executed, back in Persia. There was a goal and that was the purpose for Nehemiah being there and he was passionate enough about…about it, to be paying out of his own pocket to sustain his work there, and those around him. And so, we get another incredible picture of goals and dreams and leadership, which is something that Nehemiah really brings to the surface, as we consider our own lives.
Prayer:
Father, we thank You, yet again, for more and more examples of this leader, Nehemiah and how he accomplished the building of the wall of Jerusalem, to protect Your temple and how he turned to You and how You turned to him. May we apply this to our own lives, our own goals our own dreams, the things that You are planting within us. We pray, in the name of Jesus, we ask. Amen.
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And that’s it for today. I’m Brian, I love you and I’ll be waiting for you here, tomorrow.
Prayer and Encouragements:
Hello DAB, this is Allissa, from Colorado. I called quite a few months back to let you guys all know that my kidneys were failing. And you all are so amazing and prayed for me and I so appreciate that. So, my husband and I have been trying to get pregnant with our second child and have been struggling with secondary infertility for over two and a half years. And, of course, we found out, with the kidney failure, that’s probably why we weren’t getting pregnant. Anyways, my kidneys got so bad that I started dialysis in May, and I’ve been on for a couple weeks now, on dialysis. But anyways, about a week and a half ago, I found out that I’m pregnant and we were not even trying. So, yes, total miracle. It is less than one percent that dialysis patients are able to get pregnant. So, this is a miracle, but the reason I’m reaching out is because I’m obviously scared. I’m very excited, I’m praising God so, so much. I’m six weeks along now. There is a percentage, a risk, a pretty high risk of leaving my baby. Dialysis patients often do. And so, I’m just asking for your prayers for my sweet little growing baby. That it would grow to full term, that God would bless, his or her life. And that if it’s his will, that I will be able to see this baby and hold him in my arms. But if not, that God would give me the strength to trust Him through it and to praise Him anyway. And just to trust, no matter what happens and to lean on Him. So, I’m just praying for a miracle. So, if you could all join me in praying for my baby, I’ll keep you guys posted. I have an ultrasound in a little over two weeks. Thank you so, so, much. God bless you all. I’m so thankful for this community. I listen every day. God bless and have a wonderful day. Bye.
Hi, this is Bonnie from Virginia. Today, is Monday, August 8th. And I heard hands to heaven calling. It made me feel that she was really praying for me. This morning, I was crying and, in my tears, thinking about my life and living at my daughter and son-in-law’s house. My daughter has stopped going to church and is married to a guy who is not a believer. And in my culture, parents, we’re supposed to live with the son, but my son left home, so I had to move out from my apartment, since my daughter asked me to come live with them. I didn’t know that she had stopped going to the church, because she was planning to go to different church then mine, where we all three were attending before. And now, I see that my daughter has all the Hindu, I mean, son-in-law’s faith, god and art and statues, decorated at the house. There is no prayer, no worship, nothing in this house. And it really makes me feel very sad, regret myself moving out my apartment. And now, I’m not able to rent apartment because I do contract interpretation job and I do not make enough in order to qualify to rent an apartment. Thinking all these things makes me very sad and I really don’t find God …
Hello, Daily Audio Bible family, this is Justin from Virginia and I have a bit of a praise report and just ask for your continued prayers. So, last time I called I was going through a really rough time. A lot of anxiety and stress issues. But I feel God has worked some miracles. So, when I was having kind of, some of my darkest moments, I actually got physically sick from all of it. My dad actually came out and visited me and it was some of the best bonding time, I think I’ve ever had with him. It was great, it was really a blessing. That and seeing a counselor and doing some other things, I think has really helped. God has really worked through that. You know, I still have the same job, I haven’t been blessed with a new one yet but even that, I feel, is a bit less of a burden then it was before. So, God is good, and He’s moved in mysterious ways and used some really challenging moments in my life over the past few months, to apparently, bring me closer to my dad and other things. So, just, I wanted to give a praise report and let you know I’m doing better but to also ask for your continued prayers as I’m trying to get a new job and trying to find, continue to find peace and grow in Christ. So, love you everyone. Thank you, once again. God be praised.
Hey family, this is Kent. And, last week I heard Shawn from the UK call in, asking for prayers with his addiction to drugs. This morning, Travis, from Alberta called in to pray for Shawn. Well, Shawn, you’ve been on my mind, I have been praying for you because I know what addiction is like. And Travis, this morning, your prayer felt like it was for me, as well. My addictions are not the same as Shawn’s, an addiction is still, something that I deal with. So, thank you Travis, for that prayer and those thoughts and those words of encouragement to Shawn and to me. And Shawn, know that you are prayed for, and I love you both, brothers. Thank you.
Good morning, my name is Angie and I live in Chattanooga, Tennessee, this is my first-time calling in. Today is August 9th and I was listening to the prayers, and I heard Jed on there from Quebec, Canada, 19 years old. Super encouraging. I am a single mom. I raised three, almost by myself. I’ve been single for 11 and a half years and his prayer request for his mom, really touched my heart because my kids pray for me for a Godly husband and it just got me thinking that there’s a lot of us single women, who are waiting for Godly men. And it’s probably a sign of the times, where it seems like there are more spiritual Godly minded woman, then men. But my prayer request is that the Lord would raise them up, that the Lord, would raise these men up. That He would pour out His Holy Spirit on men and right them and put their eyes on Him. Cause there’s a lot of us ladies who would really love Godly husbands who are just one fire and head-over-heals in love with Jesus. Thanks fam.