Nehemiah 2:11-20
After the king granted his request, Nehemiah set out for Jerusalem. He stayed there for three days without announcing his intentions. Nehemiah then went out at night to examine the walls of Jerusalem, which remained destroyed after the fire. Following his examination, he said to the Jewish leaders that Jerusalem was still in ruins, and urged them to rebuild the wall. Nehemiah assured the people that the gracious hand of God was upon them and shared what the king had said. This convinced the people to begin the work of rebuilding the wall. Though Nehemiah faced some opposition, he responded that the hand of God was upon them and that they would be given success because of it.
It is fascinating to note Nehemiah’s confidence and courage in trusting the Lord and His sovereign hand. He knew that because God was in it, he would be successful in rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. Nehemiah’s sole concern was to follow in complete obedience to the Lord in what He had commanded.
For those of us who are football fans, we might be familiar with the name Roger Staubach, considered one of the best quarterbacks of all time. He played for the Dallas Cowboys under the leadership of the legendary coach Tom Landry. Under Landry’s coaching and Staubach’s leadership, the Cowboys secured a Super Bowl victory in 1971. However, Staubach admitted that it was not easy. Coach Landry decided all the calls and plays, including when Roger would pass and when he would run. Roger said that his own pride got in the way, and he had to decide whether to listen to his coach or do what he wanted to do. Staubach ultimately chose to follow Coach Landry.
Sometimes in our Christian life, pride deceives us into thinking that we should determine what kind of life we want to live. Yet God is the “genius mind” when it comes to strategy and life plans. He knows what is best and what will work. If His gracious hand is upon our decisions, we can have full confidence that in the end, it will work out.
We must pray with a blank slate, asking God to guide us each step of the way with His gracious hand. When He does guide us, we must trust in His sovereignty, knowing that His plan is always the best.
Proverbs 3
Interestingly enough today’s devotion from Proverbs 3 matches today’s Bible reading in Nehemiah. In verse 3-5-6 it says “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” What a timely reading in Proverbs.
It also says in verse 7-8 to “not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.” We must not seek our own ways but seek the way of the Lord.