“They read from the book, from the Law of God, clearly, and they gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading.” – Nehemiah 8:8

God’s Word is meant to be read AND understood by His people. Scripture isn’t supposed to be something that sounds great but can’t be understood. It’s meant to be read or heard, explained, understood, enjoyed, and obeyed by all of God’s people. If Jesus is your Lord, then don’t settle for not understanding the Bible! Don’t settle for letting others study God’s Word while you tell yourself you can’t possibly understand it yourself.

If Jesus is your Lord, then the Holy Spirit lives in you and He will help you understand the Bible. Get a good quality translation of the Bible that you’re able to understand. There are many to choose from. Get a study Bible that has many good notes at the bottom of every page to help you understand what you read. Then start reading God’s Word every day. It’s almost a new year which is a perfect time to start the habit of daily Bible reading. Bible reading is a skill that anyone can learn, but it definitely improves with practice. So practice!!!

Don’t settle for devotionals like this being the only way you read and understand God’s Word! Commit to read (or listen) to a portion of the Bible (perhaps starting with a chapter of the New Testament) every day. Read carefully. Try to make sense of what you read. Consult the notes in your study Bible. The more you read, the better you will understand. God has given us the Bible to feed us all spiritually. Don’t limit yourself to spiritual snacks – dig into the finest meal imaginable – the feast of God’s Word prepared for you! #FollowJesus

“For they all wanted to frighten us, thinking, ‘Their hands will drop from the work, and it will not be done.’ But now, O God, strengthen my hands.” – Nehemiah 6:9

If you’re serious about doing God’s will, don’t be surprised when people stand up and oppose you. They certainly opposed Nehemiah and those rebuilding Jerusalem. They discouraged. They mocked. They plotted attacks. They threatened to spread lies that would destroy his reputation. This is all completely normal in a fallen, sinful world. It’s how the devil has worked for countless years to discourage God’s people.

Be encouraged by Nehemiah’s example and imitate it! He knew exactly what God wanted him to do and wasn’t going to let earthly opposition stop him. He just prayed and kept working, worked and kept praying. He probably had moments of great fear in the face of this opposition – that’s totally natural. But he prayed for supernatural strength and courage to stay faithful to what God called him to do. Do likewise!

When you find yourself opposed for doing the right thing, pray and keep working. Work and keep praying. In Christ, you have access to supernatural power to overcome natural fear. Don’t let human opposition stop you from doing what you know God has called you to do. Carry on and #FollowJesus

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” – John 1:14

May Jesus, the eternal Word made flesh, bless you and keep you today and every day! Merry Christmas from Lake Ridge Baptist Church!

“So we built the wall. And all the wall was joined together to half its height, for the people had a mind to work.” – Nehemiah 4:6

Rebuilding the ruined walls of Jerusalem seemed like an impossible job for the tiny remnant of people living in the city. However, once God stirred up Nehemiah to lead the people in this effort, they worked with enthusiasm. Each person and family took responsibility for one small portion of the wall. Not the whole wall. One small portion. As the men and women of the area focused on their portion, the wall came together quickly. Rather than looking at the overall job and being overwhelmed, each man and woman involved just focused on doing their part. Almost overnight, the whole length of the wall came together and the wall was built up to half-height.

There’s a powerful lesson in this part of the story. What seems impossible to us often just requires everyone available to focus on their small part of the job rather than the whole job. Focus on your part and trust that others are doing the same for their part. This is a vital lesson for churches and Christians as we obey our Lord’s Great Commission to make disciples of all nations, baptizing them and teaching them to obey Jesus. This is an overwhelmingly, impossibly enormous task for any one person or church. But if every church were to focus on enthusiastically doing the part God has called them to do, the work would get done in a surprisingly short amount of time – perhaps even in our lifetime.

There is, however, another lesson going forward from this mid-point in the reconstruction. The people accomplished the first part of the task in the power of their enthusiasm. It was at then that the became difficult. Enthusiasm waned. They got tired. Opposition became intense. People became afraid and had to take more precautions. Many wanted to quit. However, Nehemiah made wise plans and encouraged them to trust God’s power and protection. The rest of the job was accomplished not through raw enthusiasm, but by discipline, determination, wisdom, and prayerful trust in the Lord. Remember this well as you serve the Lord. When your enthusiasm runs out, then it’s the time for discipline, determination, wisdom, and prayerful trust as you #FollowJesus

“Then the king said to me, ‘What are you requesting?’ So I prayed to the God of heaven.” – Nehemiah 2:4

Occasionally in life we face truly pivotal moments. Forks in the road of life from which there is no going back. On the one hand is a dangerous path of obedience to God and making a difference in the world. On the other hand is a safe path of continuing to do what you’ve always done. Which path will you choose when you come to the fork in the road? Dangerous obedience or safe sameness?

Nehemiah, Jewish cupbearer for the king of Persia, came to the fork in his road one day. The king saw him grieving the sorrowful state of Jerusalem and asked what was weighing on his mind. Nehemiah could have taken the safe road and said, as we often do, “Nothing” and continued as he was. However, he knew the burden and task God had given him. A burden to rebuild the broken down walls of his ancestral home. If Nehemiah spoken honestly about that with the king and it offended him, the king could easily demote him, fire him, or have him executed.

Nonetheless, Nehemiah knew the path God was calling him to take. Of course, he was afraid, as most of us would be. So, what did he do? He prayed before he spoke. He didn’t ask God what he should do, because he already knew the answer to that. He prayed for boldness and for God to help him be persuasive. He asked God to give the king a favorable ear toward his request. He prayed for success in his request to walk the dangerous path of obedience. God answered that prayer, as he loves to do.

Whenever you come to that fork in your road, knowing full well what God is calling you to do, take the path of obedience. But remember to pray for God’s boldness, power, and persuasiveness, that those whose assistance you need along the way will help you, whether they like it or not. Prayer is unimaginably powerful, especially when you’re walking the path of obedience. #FollowJesus