After the physical infrastructure of the wall was up and the security arrangements in place to guard the city, Nehemiah turns to the purpose of the work done—the well-being of the people of Jerusalem. He begins with recognizing the earliest groups of exiles who had returned to Jerusalem. Life was very challenging for these pioneer returnees as they tried to restore the temple and re-establish worship in Jerusalem. There were many experiences and stories from those early years that groups of later returnees could learn from and be inspired by. In many ways, Nehemiah’s work was built on the foundation that these early returnees had achieved.
We are not alone in our faith. We are many who are living this same journey of faith. It can be helpful to make time to hear the stories of how others were guided to live out their faith despite the challenges of life that they faced. This includes those who may no longer be with us. Reading their biographies of what had motivated them, how they had lived out their calling and how they had sustained themselves can inspire us and stimulate our imagination of what we can do and how we can live our lives today.
Written by Mr. Ajit Hazra
Questions
For Personal Reflection or Group Discussion
- Read the entire chapter of Nehemiah 7 as an individual or a group. Apart from their personal and national identities, the list of genealogies tell us about their spiritual identity (how they are connected to God and one another). How might this truth help you to appreciate our heritage as a church, and fulfill our calling and responsibilities?
- Reflect on the season of life that you are in. Are you building what matters to God? What are the area(s) in your life that you need to tear down? What the area(s) in your life that you need to continue to build upon?
- What are some of the practical things that you can do or put in place right now to build your character and/or stewardship?
Sermon
Preacher: Rev Anthony Phua
Series: Band Together
Topic: Counting on Every Person as We Band Together
Verses: Nehemiah 7: 1 – 7, 61 – 73
The sermon will be livestreamed at the 10am English Service on Sunday, 17 March 2024.
Read the other devotionals in our Nehemiah sermon series.
