RTW September 17
In Those Days
In those days I was the king’s cup-bearer.
Nehemiah 1:11c
My Takeaways
Something Old
“There is no winning without warfare; there is no opportunity without opposition; there is no victory without vigilance. For whenever the people of God say, ‘Let us arise and build,’ Satan says, ‘Let me arise and oppose.’” (Redpath)
- Nehemiah shows how to begin a God assignment
- The emptying of ourselves (humble ourselves). He wept.
- The seeking of God (through prayer and fasting).
It appears that Nehemiah prayed for four months before he did anything. Later, when the work of rebuilding the walls actually begins, it only takes 52 days to finish the job. But that 52-day project had a four-month foundation of prayer. - The inquiring of God. (Should I do this?)
- The enlisting of help.
- How do we know if this assignment is of God or of me? It won’t go away.
Something New
Only about 2% of the exiles returned to Jerusalem.
Something to Do
Do the prep work for the assignment that is ahead of me.