“After the wall had been rebuilt and I had set the doors in place, the gatekeepers, the musicians and the Levites were appointed. 2 I put in charge of Jerusalem my brother Hanani, along with Hananiah the commander of the citadel, because he was a man of integrity and feared God more than most people do.” NIV

Nehemiah did not put his brother in charge of Jerusalem (alongside another man, as it happens) because he was his brother. This was not nepotism. It was ‘’because he was a man of integrity and feared God more than most people do’’ (2b). If only we would require similar qualifications for high office today. Character will always matter more than charisma. It’s been said that your gifts (talent) can only take you as far as your character can sustain you.

PRAYER: We pray for all in leadership, in church and state, that they may be people of integrity who desire to honour you and your ways over everything else.