Nehemiah Chapter 1
Showing all 11 verses for Nehemiah Chapter 1.
The People's Bible is written by people, for the people. Each verse below shows:
"The words of Nehemiah the son of Hachaliah. And it came to pass in the month Chisleu, in the twentieth year, as I was in Shushan the palace, "
"This is Nehemiah's own account. He tells us his name, his father's name, and that in the month of Chislev (around November/December), in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes' reign, he was in the fortress city of Susa."
I meet you exactly where you are - in your ordinary job, your ordinary city, on an ordinary day - because that is where every meaningful change in your life actually begins. Don't wait for a dramatic moment to matter; pay attention to the details of your own life, because I'm already at work in them.
"That Hanani, one of my brethren, came, he and certain men of Judah; and I asked them concerning the Jews that had escaped, which were left of the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem. "
"Nehemiah's brother (or close relative) Hanani arrived with some other men from Judah. Nehemiah asked them how the Jewish survivors back in Jerusalem were doing, and what state the city itself was in."
Caring starts with asking the question nobody's making you ask. When you hear that someone, somewhere, is struggling, don't let distance or comfort talk you out of finding out more - that small act of attention is often where I plant the beginning of real compassion in you.
"And they said unto me, The remnant that are left of the captivity there in the province are in great affliction and reproach: the wall of Jerusalem also is broken down, and the gates thereof are burned with fire. "
"They told him: the survivors left in the province are in serious trouble and treated with contempt; Jerusalem's wall has been torn down, and its gates have been burned."
I don't ask you to pretend broken things are fine. Look honestly at what's fallen down in your life or in the lives of people you love - a relationship, a dream, a sense of safety - because only honest sight leads to real rebuilding.
"And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven, "
"When Nehemiah heard this, he sat down and cried. He mourned for several days, fasted, and prayed to the God of heaven."
You don't have to rush past your sadness to prove you're strong. I sat with grief too, and wept over things that were broken - let yourself feel it fully before you act, because sorrow honestly faced becomes strength, not weakness.
"And said, I beseech thee, O LORD God of heaven, the great and terrible God, that keepeth covenant and mercy for them that love him and observe his commandments: "
"He prayed: 'Please, LORD, God of heaven, the great and awe-inspiring God, who keeps his promises and shows faithful love to those who love him and keep his commands.'"
When you come to me, come honestly - not just with your list of wants, but remembering what real loyalty and love actually look like. I keep my word to those who keep faith with me; that's not a transaction, it's a relationship worth taking seriously.
"Let thine ear now be attentive, and thine eyes open, that thou mayest hear the prayer of thy servant, which I pray before thee now, day and night, for the children of Israel thy servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel, which we have sinned against thee: both I and my father’s house have sinned. "
"'Please pay close attention and listen carefully to this prayer I'm praying to you day and night on behalf of your people Israel. I'm confessing the sins we've committed against you - including my own family and me.'"
I never ask you to carry guilt that isn't yours, but I do invite you to stand with the people you belong to, even in their failures, rather than standing apart pointing fingers. Solidarity, not superiority, is what opens the door to real healing.
"We have dealt very corruptly against thee, and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the judgments, which thou commandedst thy servant Moses. "
"'We have acted very corruptly towards you. We haven't kept the commands, the rules, or the laws you gave through your servant Moses.'"
Vague regret changes nothing; honest, specific acknowledgment of where you've gone wrong is what opens the way forward. I'm not interested in shame for its own sake - only in the clarity that lets you actually turn around.
"Remember, I beseech thee, the word that thou commandedst thy servant Moses, saying, If ye transgress, I will scatter you abroad among the nations: "
"'Please remember what you told your servant Moses: "If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations."'"
Consequences you were warned about aren't cruelty - they're the natural shape of choices played out. I don't hide hard truths from you; I'd rather you understand them upfront so that when things go wrong, you can find your way back rather than staying lost in confusion.
"But if ye turn unto me, and keep my commandments, and do them; though there were of you cast out unto the uttermost part of the heaven, yet will I gather them from thence, and will bring them unto the place that I have chosen to set my name there. "
"'But if you turn back to me and keep my commands and obey them, even if your exiles have been scattered to the far ends of the sky, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place I have chosen for my name to dwell.'"
No matter how far you feel you've scattered from where you should be, the way back is never closed to you. I don't just point out how you went wrong; I actively gather people home when they turn back - that promise is for you too, whoever you are.
"Now these are thy servants and thy people, whom thou hast redeemed by thy great power, and by thy strong hand. "
"'These are your servants, your people - the ones you rescued by your great power and your mighty hand.'"
When you're struggling to believe a fresh start is possible, look back at every other time it seemed impossible and turned out otherwise. I have a track record with you too, even if you can't always see it clearly yet.
"O LORD, I beseech thee, let now thine ear be attentive to the prayer of thy servant, and to the prayer of thy servants, who desire to fear thy name: and prosper, I pray thee, thy servant this day, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man. For I was the king’s cupbearer. "
"'Please, LORD, listen carefully to my prayer and to the prayers of your other servants who want to honour your name. Give me success today, and let this man show me kindness.' (Nehemiah adds: at the time, he was the king's cupbearer.)"
Prayer and practical planning aren't opposites - use both. When you're preparing to have a hard conversation or take a bold step, pray for courage and favour, but also use whatever real position or opportunity you already have; I gave you both for a reason.