Consider Nehemiah. Do you need more HOPE and JOY in your life? Nehemiah recaps: The JOY of the Lord is Your Strength.” God is waiting for you to come to Him. Join us today for the finale of Nehemiah where you will be reminded the Joy of the Lord is Your strength.
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Moving Day, Dedication & Praises
In our last podcast, covering Nehemiah Chapters 10 – 12, we joined moving day as many Israelites moved back to Jerusalem. Then they signed a Curse and Oath agreement, promising to support the temple, honor the Sabbath Day, uphold a religious marriage, and serve God in everything. After the priests purified the people, the gates, and the walls, they implored God’s presence at the dedication ceremony. Nehemiah appointed two praise processions on the walls. They praised and worshipped with thanksgiving, singing, rejoicing, and trumpeting so loud that all in neighboring towns heard them!
Twelve Years Later
Things change. After serving as Governor of Jerusalem for 12 years, from 444 to 432 BC, Nehemiah returned to Babylon to serve King Artaxerxes. Sometime later, he “returned to Jerusalem.” What a shock! Nehemiah found the people had fallen away from their commitment to God and covenant promises. Today, we cover these points in Nehemiah 13 and the finale of the Book of Nehemiah:
The Falling Away (Nehemiah 13: 6-9, 15, 22, 30)
- What caused the people to fall away so quickly? They were not reminded daily of God and His ways.
- When the high priest fell away from God, so did the people.
- The Bible warns often about forgetting God (see Deuteronomy 8: 13-16)
Nehemiah Addressed Breaking God’s Commands (Nehemiah 13: 1-5, 22-30)
- The Israelites gave their children in marriage to pagans who did not use the sacred Hebrew language.
- They stopped obeying the commandments of keeping the Sabbath Day holy and paying tithe.
- The high priest Eliashib allowed Tobiah to move into the temple storeroom, where the offerings were kept.
Remembrance
- Remembrance was a theme throughout the book of Nehemiah: The people forgot God again and again, but Nehemiah kept calling them to remember God, his faithfulness, and his promises.
- Nehemiah prayed: Remember me, O my God, concerning this, and do not wipe out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God and for his service (a common prayer, from Psalm 106: 4-5.)
The Finale
- It is sorrowful to know that after all the building and recommitment, the people fell away from God.
- It is good to remember Romans 15:4: For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, so that by endurance and by the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. God is faithful and we all must return to him again and again. He offers us His strength, His JOY and His hope.
Nehemiah and Hope
- The Book of Nehemiah has reassured us that prayer changes everything, that every obstacle can be overcome, and that every false accusation can lead to persistence, more prayer, and joyous victory.
- Declare with Nehemiah: God is with us! God is for us! God is at work! God has a plan that changes everything!
- With confidence, we can exclaim: The JOY of the LORD is my strength! (Nehemiah 8: 14).
Personal Reflection on the Book of Nehemiah
Let’s close with some reflection on the principles you can apply from the book of Nehemiah.
(1) Call on your LOVING GOD in the MESSY SITUATIONS (Chapter 1).
(2) SUPPLICATE (Chapter 1). You can use Nehemiah’s ACTS Model: 1) Adore God 2) Confess sins, 3) Thank God, and 4) Supplicate.
(3) Pray for FAVOR & depend on God to open doors. (Chapters 2-3).
(4) Become a Perfumer; All Vocations are Needed (Chapter 3). Become a perfumer and help build. Bring the sweetness of God’s spirit and a sweet aroma of prayer to every stinky situation.
(5) Face Opposition & Stand FIRM Against Insults (Chapters 4, 7). Nehemiah showed a 3-pronged approach to defeating opposition: 1) pray, 2) declare the truth instead of believing lies and 3) work together with others.
(6) When angered, step back first (Chapter 5) & Face Slander (Chapter 6): Pray, Speak the Truth, and Persevere. eep the sword of the spirit- the Word of God in one hand and your work tool or skill in the other.
(7) Declare the Joy of the Lord is My Strength (Chapter 8).
(8) Create a personal Prayer BOOTH! in your home (Chapter 8). Your corner of a room is like a spiritual booth where the Israelites celebrated the Feast of Booths to offer praise, and thanksgiving and read His Word.
(9) Remember God Will Never Forsake You (Chapters 9 & 13). After experiencing God’s great faithfulness, the people fell away into sin into the rebellion-revival cycle.
(10) Become a “Praiser” and Read God’s Word (Chapters 10-12). Nehemiah called the people to worship, to praise and to offer thanksgiving to God.
Personal Prayer Response
So, what will you do NEXT? How can you start building now? Nehemiah models personal intercession with the ACTS model.
- Adore God and praise His greatness and faithfulness.
- Confess your sins and those of your nation and families with a contrite spirit.
- Thank God for His blessings and promises.
- Supplicate or pray with a passionate heart for what you need and for others. Incorporate Scripture, when possible.
Remember: The JOY of the LORD is YOUR Strength!
Cup of JOY Women
- Why not invite a few friends for coffee or tea every week for just one hour to discuss a one-page study guide accompanying every podcast in each series?
- It’s called a Cup of Joy Women’s group and is a fantastic way to gently evangelize and encourage others. I will provide all the free resources and even Zoom meetings for facilitators.
- In September, I start my fifth series called JOYFUL and Battle-ready. It’s a perfect time to form a Cup of JOY women’s group for the 8-week series.
- For more information, go to my website com, and click under Cup of Joy Women on the menu, or email me: Karen@WrapYourselfinJoy.com
Links
- Download Bookmarks from this podcast series at my website: com
- Read more on hosting a Cup of Joy Women’s small group.
- Check out more podcasts here!
- Click HERE to find my