Rashional Thoughts — Called for a specific moment

Rashional Thoughts — Called for a specific moment

By Jennifer Davis Rash
The Alabama Baptist

“We built this city, we built this city on rock and roll.” When I read Nehemiah, Jefferson Starship’s 1985 Grammy Award-winning song “We Built This City” pops in my head.

I wonder how the lyrics might have been written in 445 B.C. during the 20th year of King Artaxerxes in the Persian city of Susa (capital city of Elam), specifically as they would have applied to the king’s cupbearer, Nehemiah.

Brokenhearted over the broken walls of Jerusalem, Nehemiah was granted leave from his position of managing, protecting and serving the royal family’s wine. His heart was full of compassion and desire to help rebuild the walls around the Israelites’ holy city.

Even though Nehemiah was born during the Babylonian captivity outside Jerusalem, he still loved his people and their home city. The lyrics might have gone something like: “We built this city, we built this city on grief and prayer.”

After much grief over the situation, Nehemiah turned to prayer as he prepared for his journey to Jerusalem, organized the work to be done and watched the walls come together. Prayer became the foundation for every move he made.

The Book of Nehemiah is thought to be a collection of his memoirs, which leads many to believe he is the author. However, some believe Ezra could be the author because the two books were originally one book in the Hebrew Bible.

Together they tell the story of the restoration of the returned remnant from exile in Babylon. Ezra deals with 2 of the 3 parts of the experience — returning to Jerusalem and rebuilding the temple. Nehemiah deals with the third part — rebuilding the city walls, something he accomplished in an astonishing 52 days.

Related to the Christology of the book, we see Jesus portrayed in the restoration act of what Nehemiah does with rebuilding the city walls.

Just as Nehemiah was the restorer of the walls for Jerusalem, Jesus is the restorer of communion with God for mankind. Nehemiah also was committed to the goal and stayed focused on it despite the ridicule and opposition that came, just like Jesus did during His earthly ministry and ultimate sacrifice to pay the sin debt owed by the human race.

Leadership skills

Nehemiah’s leadership and organizational skills are what draw me to this book. Here is a respected layman already demonstrating his character and work ethic by achieving a role not allowed for just anyone and taking it to the highest level by earning the trust and confidence of the king.

It would have been easier and much more comfortable for him to continue in his position and ignore the yearnings of his heart. After all he did not seem to have an extraordinary experience or explosive vision from the Lord. It reads more like a sense or call, so no one else would have known if he did not answer the call.

But Nehemiah knew he was the one chosen to help the others and he could not get away from that quiet yet powerful tug. His resolve is inspiring. His energy and unselfishness can only happen because of his total dependence on God. His integrity, his humility, his love — they are models for how we all should live.

Nehemiah had a heart for the people and the project. He believed in it, cared for them and kept the faith. He knew God had called him to this moment and he gave the credit back to God rather than taking it for himself.

“He built this city, he built this city on heart and soul.”

 


‘We Believe’ — Psalm 1:1–3

By the Newsboys

When was the last time you had an extended, uninterrupted conversation with someone face to face — without checking for text messages or taking a call?

For a lot of us, we’d have to think for some time to come up with an answer. And even if you have enjoyed such a moment in recent days, you likely will still agree there’s so much noise — too much perhaps — in the world around us.

It’s hard to stand still when we’re all so busy. It’s difficult to stay centered when we’re pulled in so many directions. The same can be said of our spiritual selves when so many forces vie for our attention and our affection. When our lives spiral out of control and we can’t make sense of the circumstances we are in, we often find ourselves longing for a solid place to stand, to find rest and make sense of it all.

In the song “We Believe” (by the Newsboys), we’re given a musical reminder of what it is that is essential to our Christian faith. When we find ourselves on the periphery without hope, we can find something to center us in the life and death and resurrection of Jesus. When we find ourselves arguing about things that don’t matter, we can remember we all are united as children of the same Heavenly Father.

“We believe in God the Father / We believe in Jesus Christ / We believe in the Holy Spirit / And He’s given us new life / We believe in the crucifixion / We believe that He conquered death / We believe in the resurrection / And He’s coming back again / We believe.”

These lyrics provide a musical creed for us that tether us to the central hope of the Church. Placing these central truths in our mind and heart will allow us to stand strong when the uncertainty of life attempts to move us away from what truly matters. The Spirit at work within us will keep us strong and we can help by creating space to recall what is true about God and His work in our lives.

The beautiful opening to the first Psalm gives us a picture of someone who remains firm despite the whirlwind around them.

May you become like a tree planted firmly, rooted in the deeper truths of God. May we remember and reflect on what it is that we truly believe and carry that in our hearts as we step back into the chaotic moments of the world around us. Centering ourselves on the core of our faith allows us to bloom with the fruit of God’s kingdom and offer love and beauty to a world that needs it.

EDITOR’S NOTE — This devotional by the Newsboys first appeared on www.biblereading.com and was shared on Facebook by Chris Barton, Phil Campbell.

 


Lead effectively with these 5 traits

By Major General Michael J. Diamond
U.S. Army (retired), author of “The Diamond Process”

In order to be a complete leader, those in charge must possess certain character traits. Workers need leaders whom they can admire and respect. It should be no surprise that many of these foundational traits can be developed through religious teachings.

The five most important  character traits are:

Integrity — Proverbs 11:3 and 2 Corinthians 8:21.

Decisiveness — James 1:6–8. Also part of decisiveness is praying for knowledge and wisdom (Eph. 5:15–17), seeking counsel from others (Prov. 15:22) and submitting to the Lord’s will (Prov. 19:21).

Work ethic — Colossians 3:23 and Matthew 5:16.

Discipline — Titus 1:7–9.

Courage — Joshua provides a great example.

 


Guarding your mind

By Shea Lowery
shealowery.com

We are instructed to meditate on the Word of God daily. However, oftentimes we allow ourselves to become distracted by the enemy’s plots and schemes. The adversary’s mission is to ensnare us into believing one lie after the other about ourselves, our purpose and even our callings. … While difficult times send many conflicting messages, God’s Word brings calm in the midst of confusion.

“Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth” (Col. 3:2).

The greatest battle we will ever fight is the battle of the mind. So gird up and get ready and refuse to allow the enemy to influence your thoughts. Instead allow Jesus Christ to control you. Remember you will walk according to your mindset.

 


“‘Fight For You’ emphasizes  the fact that marriage and love are a choice, and it’s a choice that you have to commit to love one another and to fight for one another each day. … The world has so many things trying to work against you and trying to pull you apart. As a married couple, if you don’t choose to fight for each other then no one else will. That song came from a place where we wanted to look into our marriage and … encourage others.”

— Grayson Reed, Contemporary Christian duo