01/02/2024
Happy New Rebuilding Year 2024! Mount Simon Ministries wishes you the best this 2024 as we enter a new year of rebuilding broken hearts and lives through our first ever Nehemiah Project.
Throughout the Word of God, each book of the Holy Bible reveals a trait or character if you will, of God. In Nehemiah He is known as the rebuilder of broken hearts and lives. This has inspired us to study the book of Nehemiah and pursue rebuilding the hearts and lives of those that are sent to us this year. As part of this project we will be providing physical opportunities to rebuild your community through the projects needed at the advocacy center, here at Mount Simon Ministries. As we study God’s Word and hear how Nehemiah rebuilt walls and lives we will support one another and learn practical ways to apply these rebuilding principles to our lives.
We are excited to partner with both those that are in a place to help rebuild and those that need rebuilding and support. We pray you will join us this first month of the year as we work through the book of Nehemiah and discover truths for rebuilding this next year. Each day we will make our way through a portion of scripture in Nehemiah and we will see unfold the plans God has for us this new year.
Nehemiah Study Day 1:
Nehemiah was a famous cupbearer in the bible to the king of Persia, Artaxerxes. Nehemiah also served at least two terms as governor. He likely was shown favor as Queen Esther, was the king’s stepmother. Biblical scholars agree that Esther likely had a profound influence on Artaxerxes with regard to the Jewish people. Nehemiah was certainly shown favor by God and by the king with his appointment to cupbearer. He was a trusted servant of the king and because of that, the book of Nehemiah and the book of Ezra have official documents recorded in them, which would have only been accessible by someone trusted and with access. Nehemiah was placed in a very important position and used in miraculous ways just as Joseph, Esther, and Daniel were in scripture.
Throughout the book of Nehemiah we see God’s mighty hand of grace and compassion on His people that had abandoned Him for disobedience and the temporary pleasures of this world. Israel and Judah had wandered into sin and had been taken into captivity by the Assyrians and the Babylonians, God choosing them for their chastisement for their waywardness.
It was during this captivity the Persians came to power over the Jews, Daniel had received his prophetic revelations, the call to return to God and rebuild the temple had happened and the reestablishment of the national calendar of feast and sacrifices. Zerubabel and Joshua had already rebuilt the temple and Nehemiah was being called to reconstruct walls.
Nehemiah was called to rebuild the walls to protect Jerusalem, an act received as total rebellion by the Jewish people had Nehemiah not been trusted by King Artaxerxes as his cupbearer and governor. Artaxewrxes gave his blessing for the walls to be constructed because he trusted Nehemiah. Walling off a city was a strength to the city and its inhabitants to protect them from outside threats and allow them to carry on peaceful life inside.
Because God placed Nehemiah in this place at this time, God’s people were cared for and were protected and provided for.
Walls/boundaries are not bad… although in our culture today we are taught to tear down walls everywhere. Why? Walls contain, separate, protect, and defend. I believe Nehemiah is going to show me God’s good walls and boundaries He wants to build in my life on the foundation of my secure salvation He has given to me freely through His sacrifice on the cross. That atonement for my sins allowed me to enter the door to eternity with Christ that is promised in scripture. Jesus is our doorway to eternity with God the Father. (John 14:6) Jesus also promised He went to prepare a place for me…a mansion (John 14:3). A mansion has walls.
The Holy of Holies, where the presence of God dwelt amongst His people, had walls. The Ark of the Covenant was walled and closed! When I think about how scripture tells us we are holy and set apart and sealed by the Holy Spirit in salvation, I see myself now as having these protective walls around my heart and life that are there for my blessing. Christ is our cornerstone, our foundation, He is also our rebuilder. He does it all. He protects our hearts and minds, seals our spirits and places His boundaries, His walls around us so we can abide in His love and grace, being fulfilled by His power contained in us.
Last year was a year filled with a lot of tearing down of the old, the damaged, and the toxic. Removing unwanted and unnecessary clutter from my life and realizing a lot of disturbing truths about my life, filled the weeks and months of 2023; a year to which I never want to return or repeat. Seeing the hope of rebuilding this year is the bright spot I am choosing to focus on now.
Turning 180 degrees and going the other way is what I intend to do now, let’s rebuild with Nehemiah!
Neh. 1:1-11
Nehemiah is speaking of his time in tenure as a cupbearer here in this first chapter. He receives word from his brother Hanani, a remnant from Judah that escaped and is now surviving in Jerusalem and the walls of Jerusalem are broken down and destroyed. The gates to the city had been burned down and it was all left a shambles. Nehemiah can’t believe his ears, the holy city, burned and the walls fallen into rubble. He weeps and mourns for days over this, his heart breaking. He must have known just a small weight of that sadness that God had for His people. He saw what was so heart breaking to a God that creates out of love and truth, what happens when His creation turn against Him.
In his sadness, Nehemiah goes straight to Yahweh; he is fasting and praying; he is focused solely on what the Lord has to say. I see this as such a screaming example of what a Christ follower should know to instinctively do. He approaches…”I beseech You, O LORD God of Heaven, the great and awesome God, who preserves the covenant and lovingkindness for those who love Him and keep His commandments…”
Okay, WHO did Nehemiah approach? I think it is very important to point out Nehemiah was very specific in who he was addressing. He just heard about his people living in conditions that were so deplorable and he knew they were there because of their turn to rebellion. He first seeks the highest authority of all, the Lord God of heaven, the great and awesome God. The one and the only, THE great and awesome God. There is no other god than Yahweh, God of heaven AND earth. Nehemiah then proclaims God’s preservation of the covenant and the lovingkindness for those who love Him and keep His commandments. Love and obedience go hand in hand. Lovingkindness is preserved by the Lord God of heaven for us! Nehemiah understood the power behind that truth. Do we? Do we live it? Do I approach God as the Lord God of heaven, the great and awesome God of the universe and all that is and was and will be? Sadly, I do not. Often the God I approach seems distant…Nehemiah knew differently.
I’m going to choose today to realize and attempt to understand WHO I approach this year in prayer. I want to speak directly to the Lord God of heaven, the great and awesome God.
In 2024, I choose to go directly to the Lord God of heaven, the great and awesome God, in prayer and petition to rebuild my life’s walls firmly on the foundation of this loving God who preserves His covenant and keeps His promises.
2024 is going to be a year of rebuilding broken walls and lives. I pray for those hearts the Lord is speaking to right now, that they will join me this 2024, for the first ever, Project Nehemiah- Rebuilding Hearts and Lives 2024. Let’s journey together and taste the lovingkindness preserved for us only through our loving Lord God of heaven, THE great and awesome God.
Thank you for making it this far in my Nehemiah study. I’ll be working through the book this first month of 2024 discovering God’s way to rebuild broken hearts and lives. Each day I will make my way through a brief passage of scripture in Nehemiah. I will be asking the Lord to show me what He wants me to see and hear, so that I may go and do, heal and be healed. As we work our way through God’s word and employ practical ways to rebuild in areas He is seeking, we will have opportunity to come and join together on physical projects to rebuild here at Mount Simon Ministries. 2024 will be focused on rebuilding part of the property into an advocacy center for our community. Here we will offer space to the community for many programs and activities.
We are excited to partner with you in your prayer and your presence this 2024.
Until tomorrow…Happy New Rebuilding Year!!!
