Building on God's Faithfulness
In Response to His Amazing Grace
Nehemiah 1-2
Where do you find encouragement and assurance in the midst of life’s chaos? It comes from knowing that the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth, “watches over your life” and “keeps watch over you as you come and go, both now and forever” (cf. Ps. 121).
In our chaos:
1. God REMEMBERS us in our trouble and disgrace (1:1-11)
- Praise God that He “demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8) (cf. Eph. 2:4-5)
- Praise God that He “is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble” (Ps. 46:1) (cf. Ez. 34:11-16)
- Praise God for the gift of His Word, where we find encouragement and assurance in His promises (cf. Heb. 13:5b-6a; Ps. 145:13b)
Are you living in the midst of chaos? Do trouble and disgrace describe your life? Saturate your mind with God’s Word and “approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that [you] may receive mercy and find grace to help [you] in [your] time of need” (cf. Heb. 4:16).
2. God INTERVENES for us even when we don’t deserve it (2:1-9)
- Genuine faith in God settles our hearts and keeps us from rushing ahead to try and do in our own strength, what only God can do
- There is comfort and assurance in knowing that God is sovereign and that He is working all things out for His glory and our good (cf. Rom. 8:28; Gen. 50:19-20)
- Waiting on God to intervene is not passive; it involves actively praying and preparing
Are you struggling to wait on the Lord to intervene? Are you tired of rushing ahead, trying to “fix” what is broken in your own strength, only to be disappointed again? God “gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak…those who hope/wait in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint” (Isa. 40:28-29, 31). “The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still” (Ex. 14:14).
3. God EMPOWERS us with courage to rebuild and move forward (2:10-20)
- God’s intervention in our lives includes empowering us to be strong and courageous (cf. Josh. 1:9; Isa. 41:10)
- Aligning our hearts and minds with His will enables us to move forward courageously, by faith in His strength (cf. Ps. 28:7-8; Hab. 3:19; Eph. 6:10)
- God’s amazing grace in our lives should fuel us to dedicate ourselves to serve Him faithfully and wholeheartedly (cf. 1 Sam. 12:24; Rom. 12:1; 2 Cor. 5:14-15)
Is it your desire to rebuild and move forward? Then, ask the Lord to restore to you the joy of His salvation and to grant you a willing spirit, to sustain you (Ps. 51:12). “The LORD makes firm the steps of the one who delights in Him; though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the LORD upholds him with His hand” (Psalm 37:23-24).
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