Tues.’s Devo - The Wall is Completed

Read: Nehemiah 5:14-7:73a: 1 Corinthians 8:1-13; Psalm 33:1-11; Proverbs 21:8-10 The entire time Nehemiah was the governor of Judah, he didn’t receive his allowance for food and wine. He paid out of his own pocket to feed150 Jewish officials and any visiting officials. The governor before him had put heavy burdens on the people but, Nehemiah couldn’t do it. He asked God to remember what he had done for his people. *** Sanballat, Tobiah and Geshem the Arab and their followers found out that the gaps and been filled and and the gates were built. All that was left to do was to set the doors in the gates. These men plotted to draw Nehemiah away from his city and kill him but Nehemiah refused to meet with them. They sent five letters asking for a meeting and Nehemiah refused them all. Next, they tried sending a false prophet to tell him that he should hide in the Temple because they were coming to kill him. He refused to run in fear. Once again, Nehemiah prayed that God would see all they were doing to intimidate him. *** On the 25th day of Elul, the wall was finished. It had only taken them 52 days. When their enemies found out, they were the ones who were afraid and intimidated. They saw that God had helped the Jews. *** Nehemiah set up times when the gates would be open and when they would be shut. He stationed guards at the gates and around the city. *** A list had been made of all the exiles who returned to Israel and it totaled around fifty thousand people. They brought gifts to the Nehemiah for the work of the Lord and to set up the priests to sacrifice and worship the Lord. *** Paul makes the point that eating food offered to idols offends some but if you don’t give idols any power then there is nothing to worry about. You can eat whatever you want, but if you are with someone who this offends, then you need to put them first. It’s the living that are important, not some dead idol. Paul just warned them not to let their freedom cause another believer to sin. Perception is belief and belief is faith. The spiritual world on both sides is fueled by faith. *** Lord, may we put our faith in you and you alone. May we live our lives to serve you and others above ourselves.