Today, we're kicking off a new devotional Bible study drawn from the Book of Nehemiah. Now, for those who maybe haven't read it yet or need a refresher, Nehemiah is set about a hundred years after the Jewish people returned from exile in Babylon. Jerusalem's walls were still in rubble, leaving the people vulnerable. So, God raises up this leader Nehemiah to guide the monumental rebuilding project. And let me tell you, it was no cakewalk! From local resistance to political threats, the opposition was fierce. But Nehemiah pressed on through it all with vision, courage, and loads of trust in the God who called him.
What I think we'll discover over the next few weeks is the remarkable leadership displayed in this often-overlooked book. As we walk verse by verse through the narrative, consider how principles jump out that we can apply to leading and discipling in our own spheres of home, church, community - wherever we're called. My prayer is God uses this for equipping us to better serve Him. Sometimes we just need a spark of inspiration from those who have run the race before us. Brothers and sisters, Nehemiah has definitely run the race! So, let's dive in with open hearts and see what lessons the Lord has for us through this great underdog story.
Nehemiah 1:1–11 - 1 The words of Nehemiah the son of Hacaliah. Now it happened in the month Chislev, in the twentieth year, while I was in Susa the capitol, 2 that Hanani, one of my brothers, and some men from Judah came; and I asked them concerning the Jews who had escaped and had survived the captivity, and about Jerusalem. 3 They said to me, “The remnant there in the province who survived the captivity are in great distress and reproach, and the wall of Jerusalem is broken down and its gates are burned with fire.” 4 When I heard these words, I sat down and wept and mourned for days; and I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven. 5 I said, “I beseech You, O Lord God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who preserves the covenant and lovingkindness for those who love Him and keep His commandments, 6 let Your ear now be attentive and Your eyes open to hear the prayer of Your servant which I am praying before You now, day and night, on behalf of the sons of Israel Your servants, confessing the sins of the sons of Israel which we have sinned against You; I and my father’s house have sinned. 7 “We have acted very corruptly against You and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the ordinances which You commanded Your servant Moses. 8 “Remember the word which You commanded Your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful I will scatter you among the peoples; 9 but if you return to Me and keep My commandments and do them, though those of you who have been scattered were in the most remote part of the heavens, I will gather them from there and will bring them to the place where I have chosen to cause My name to dwell.’ 10 “They are Your servants and Your people whom You redeemed by Your great power and by Your strong hand. 11 “O Lord, I beseech You, may Your ear be attentive to the prayer of Your servant and the prayer of Your servants who delight to revere Your name, and make Your servant successful today and grant him compassion before this man.” Now I was the cupbearer to the king.
What does today’s passage say?
In today’s passage, Nehemiah received a sobering report about the Jewish remnant's ongoing struggles back in Jerusalem, including the dilapidated state of the city's walls and gates (vv. 1-3). Stunned and heartbroken over the news of their hardship and reproach, Nehemiah sat down and openly wept, mourned, fasted and earnestly prayed to God day and night concerning this burden (v. 4). Drawing near to God, he acknowledged his own sins and those of his ancestors that led to judgment. Yet still he dared appeal to God's promise to show mercy and gather His scattered people if they repented and turned back to Him (vv. 5-7). So, Nehemiah urgently pleaded for God to please hear his prayer, see the desperate plight, and remember that promise made long ago. He asked God to empower this feeble remnant facing enemies' scorn as they sought to start rebuilding walls and lives now in rubble (vv. 8-10). Finally, he prayed for God's favor in motivating the king to show kindness and release Nehemiah to assist in this monumental restoration work (v. 11).
How can I apply Nehemiah 1:1-11 to my life?
The book of Nehemiah offers a number of biblically based leadership lessons that remain very relevant today. As individuals guiding families, ministries, businesses or other organizations, we share Nehemiah’s deep desire to see God’s people thriving according to their full potential. This passage reveals Nehemiah’s immediate, emotional response to a report detailing the hardships still plaguing the Jewish remnant that had returned from exile to Jerusalem. We observe a leader who took the needs of his people straight to God’s throne of grace in fervent prayer. Nehemiah models for us essential disciplines like cultivating compassion, owning and confessing shortcomings, and grounding requests in God’s promises. As those called to shepherd and disciple others in a modern context, we must embody these same postures. The challenges faced by those we lead differ from rebuilding Jerusalem’s walls, yet the principles gleaned from Nehemiah’s example still carry great utility. Here are some basic principles from this passage that we should apply to our lives:
1. Develop a Heart of Compassion for God’s People (vv. 1-4): Nehemiah received news that the returned exiles in Jerusalem were in distress and that the city walls remained in ruins. His natural response was deep sadness and tears over the struggles of God's people. Like Nehemiah, Christian leaders must cultivate hearts of compassion that mourn over the suffering of others. We cannot remain indifferent or detached but should allow our hearts to break for that which breaks God's heart. Our concern should drive us to prayer and action on behalf of struggling believers. Though we cannot solve every problem, God calls leaders who will carry His people's burdens before His throne, then partner with Him in seeking solutions. As leaders, we must resist the temptation to brush aside troubling reports about those we minister to. Their pain should become our pain. We cannot disciple or lead others effectively from a position of emotional distance or disconnection from people's daily battles. Our compassion compels us to enter into their turmoil, listening, learning, weeping, and praying before plotting any course of action. God shaped and used Nehemiah because distressed exiles found a leader whose heart aligned with their hardship. We can have the most impact on others when we allow room for God's heart of compassion to grow inside our own (Psalm 82:3–4, Matthew 23:37, Hebrews 4:15).
Food for thought: What struggles in my church stir my emotions and my prayers? How can I grow in compassion this week toward someone facing hardship?
2. Humbly Confess Sins Before the Lord, Taking Responsibility and Seeking Mercy (vv. 5-7): Upon hearing of Jerusalem’s state of disrepair, Nehemiah immediately turned to God in prolonged prayer, including an extended time of confession and repentance for sins committed by himself and by the people. Like Nehemiah, as we disciple others, we must come before God acknowledging where we and those under our care have missed the mark. Honest confession demonstrates humility, takes ownership rather than shifting blame, and positions our hearts to receive needed grace. As shepherds guiding others, we ourselves stand in constant need of God’s mercy and forgiveness. We lead best from a posture of humility, honestly owning and confessing faults as we recognize that we represent a people in process, not yet perfected. Our role involves graciously extending the same mercy we freely receive. Confession and repentance should never give way to dwelling in guilt but serve to unblock channels for the Spirit’s renewal and restoration to flow. As leaders, we set an example when we refuse to minimize shortcomings or make excuses for failings in ourselves and our community. Owning where we have fallen short opens the door for God's reconciling power to bring correction and healing. Rather than covering over sins, we must gently expose them to the light of Christ, who specializes in redeeming our weaknesses. Just as Nehemiah interceded for his people, pleading for mercy based on God's gracious character, we can intercede for those who struggle under the weight of guilt, failure or shame (James 5:16, 1 John 1:9, Daniel 9:4-8).
Food for thought: What blind spots or failings might God want me to acknowledge and address? Who needs to experience God’s restoration through my prayers this week?
3. Prayerfully Recall God’s Promises of Restoration (vv. 8-11): As Nehemiah prayed for the exiles’ plight in Jerusalem, he grounded his intercession in remembrance of God’s faithful promises to restore His scattered people. Likewise, when discipling and leading God’s people today, we can appeal to His guarantees of renewal for all who turn to Him. Even in the bleakest circumstances brought on by prolonged disobedience, God assures redemption for those who repent. His steadfast plans for reconciliation tower over evil’s destructive schemes. As shepherds and leaders, we stabilize and encourage those God’s brings into our sphere of influence when we guide them to recall Scriptural assurances that nothing can thwart God’s purposes for those called as His own. Our prayers for struggling believers carry greater hope when rooted deeply in the many Bible passages declaring God’s commitment to revive, rebuild, and renew those who walk in fellowship with Him. His heart always stands ready to answer cries for help when they are aligned with His will. Both as followers and as leaders, we do not place confidence in our own weak plans and efforts, but rather in the certainties of God’s victorious restorative agenda revealed in His everlasting Word (Jeremiah 29:10-14, Joel 2:25-27, Isaiah 35:8-10).
Food for thought: What Scriptures give me greatest hope in the toughest leadership challenges? How can I direct someone this week to God’s promises that address their struggles?
Nehemiah shows us many important parts of Godly leadership we still need today. But applying Nehemiah’s example requires pushing back against trends to treat people in impersonal ways, stay indifferent to their struggles, or put them into separate boxes in our minds. This passage calls us to reconnect in compassion, pour out the true condition of our flocks to God, and let Him shape our vision and guide our work. Of course, we are not Nehemiah tasked with rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem and we face different challenges. Yet when we pray earnestly for struggling sheep, own our failures, ground prayers in God’s faithful promises, and act in loving obedience, we team up with the Great Shepherd in His wonderful restoration work. May Nehemiah’s model of burden-bearing leadership inspire us to fresh surrender.
Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father,
I pray that You would give me a heart of compassion for those around me. Help me to share the hurts and carry the burdens of people You love. I pray that You would lead me to honest confession instead of hiding sins that grieve Your Spirit. Remind me often of Your faithful promises to lift up those who humble themselves and call on You. I pray that You would give me the wisdom and strength to lead others in Your gracious restoration. Guard my heart against indifference when I hear reports of pain or hardship in my circle of influence and burden me with intercession when devastating news tempts me to detach in self-protection. I pray that You would use me to model leadership anchored in loving dependence on You rather than my own weak wisdom. Help me to be a vessel for the healing, redemption, and reconciliation only You can bring.
I pray these things in the most precious name of Jesus, Amen.
Nehemiah 1:4 – “When I heard these words, I sat down and wept and mourned for days; and I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven.”
With His Blessings,
Pastor Corby
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