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“The words of Nehemiah son of Hakaliah: In the month of Kislev in the twentieth year, while I was in the citadel of Susa, ² Hanani, one of my brothers, came from Judah with some other men, and I questioned them about the Jewish remnant that had survived the exile, and also about Jerusalem.” NIV

Interest:

In the second act of his play, ‘The devil’s disciple’, George Bernard Shaw puts these words on the lips of Rev Anthony Anderson: ‘The worst sin toward our fellow creatures is not to hate them, but to be indifferent to them: that’s the essence of inhumanity.’

As I recall, C.S. Lewis said some thing like this: if you were ever to meet a truly humble person, you wouldn’t think, ‘This is a humble man, or woman.’ What you would say is, ‘This person is really interested in me.’

I heard a story about a young employee who was leaving his firm. At his exit interview he was asked by a senior manager, ‘What would we have had to say to you to keep you?’ His reply was ‘Anything!!’

On the other hand, Paul said about Timothy, ‘’I have no one else like him, who will show genuine concern for your welfare’’ Philippians 2:20.

As we come into Nehemiah’s story, we see that he has an important job, and no doubt, comfortable circumstances. He is cupbearer to the king, in Susa. (This was the capital city of the Persian empire at the time, and site of the king’s winter palace). So, because he has access to the king he is a man of great influence. Yet, he is deeply interested in the welfare of Jerusalem, and of the exiles who had returned home many years earlier. How was it going with them, and the city? He wanted to know. It wasn’t one of those perfunctory questions where you’re not really bothered about the answer. It’s just a social nicety.

No, Nehemiah looked beyond his immediate circle and circumstances and was deeply interested to know about his fellow- Jews in a far away land. The answer he received was to be a turning-pont. Warren Wiersbe says, ‘Like large doors, great life-changing events can swing on very small hinges.’

Thought: Who, outside of your immediate circle, and natural spheres of interest, might you show concern for today? Somebody called Jesus, ‘The Man for others.’ His followers cannot be wrapped up in themselves.

As the series on 1 Peter was coming to a conclusion, my mind naturally turned to the question: ‘Where in the Bible should we go next?’ As I lifted the thought to God in prayer, I felt a very definite nudge (in fact it was a bit stronger than that – more on the way to a shove probably) in the direction of the book of Nehemiah.

Someone said, ‘Nehemiah’s sacrifice of a fine position for the good of the cause (2:5) may typify the sacrificial service always needed when a great work is to be accomplished.’

Nehemiah had a great position and, no doubt, a comfortable lifestyle in the court of the Persian king. But when he discovered the state Jerusalem was in, with its walls broken down and gates burned, he sought permission to return and organise the re-building project.

This book has so much to teach us about spiritual leadership/organisation/administration. We are living through days where we are facing a kind of re-building project, and what is re-built will probably not look quite the same as what we knew before. It’s possible that this re-build may involve us in a painstaking process over many months, and I think Nehemiah is full of timely, and encouraging lessons for us.

I have set my mind in the direction of not only reading Nehemiah, but also praying my way through it. I invite you to join me on this exciting journey. Keep your heart wide-open, praying, ‘Lord show me/us what you want us to see in these days.’

PRAYER: Lord, even though we may think that we are involved in a re-build at ground level, we recognise that you have never stopped building your church, nor will you, until it is complete. So we trust your kingdom purposes. But we see this is not a time for passivity. Help us to roll up our sleeves and work, even as we aim to rely on you alone.

“Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. ⁹ Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.¹⁰ And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. ¹¹ To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.¹² With the help of Silas, whom I regard as a faithful brother, I have written to you briefly, encouraging you and testifying that this is the true grace of God. Stand fast in it.¹³ She who is in Babylon, chosen together with you, sends you her greetings, and so does my son Mark. ¹⁴ Greet one another with a kiss of love.Peace to all of you who are in Christ.” NIV

‘All grace is in God for every hour and need, v.10. We too are called to his eternal glory through Christ. The path of suffering, and that path alone, leads to the world where suffering is unknown. The suffering is only for a little while.’ F.B. Meyer, ‘Devotional Commentary’, p.617.

‘No matter what our situation, no matter what our need, God’s grace is sufficient for us.’ Tom Hale: ‘Applied New Testament Commentary’, p.922. This is such a helpful comment, don’t you think, as we live in these uncertain times.

We sometimes forget that God is in the little details as well as the big things It could be easy to miss the significance of the reference to Mark in (13). But Mark wrote the very first gospel, and it is thought that Peter is the eye-witness behind his account. As Peter wrote his letter from ‘Babylon’ (Rome), Mark was with him.

Looking at the very last line, we can call to mind the words of Jesus:

‘’Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to your as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid’ (John 14:27).

Oswald Chambers said, ‘When God gives me a vision of the truth, there is never a question of what He will do, but only of what I will do.’

As our readings in 1 Peter come to a close, may I ask, ‘What has God shown you?’ And, ‘What will you do about it?’

As regular readers will know, in the past few days I have been particularly drawn to Eugene Peterson’s translation in ‘The Message’. Let’s look again at this modern paraphrase today:

‘’The church in exile here with me—but not for a moment forgotten by God—wants to be remembered to you. Mark, who is like a son to me, says hello. Give holy embraces all around! Peace to you—to all who walk in Christ’s ways.’’

 The idea of being a ‘’church in exile’’ seems to resonate. It’s not always easy to put into words what I feel about these many weeks when we haven’t been able to physically gather. We are very much still the church. Nothing can change that. But doesn’t it sometimes feel like we’re in a foreign land, away from home? Like the Jews in Babylon, at times we could sit down and weep when we remember ‘Zion’. Early on in the crisis, I found myself in a ‘Zoom’ pastors gathering. One of the speakers told us we should take time to ‘grieve’ all we have lost in this season. This is not just a word for leaders. It’s applicable to us all.

But it’s good to know that we are ‘’not for a moment forgotten by God.’’ He was not taken by surprise when lockdown came, and He is mysteriously and wonderfully at work in the midst of this crisis, doing, I believe, far more than we can ask or imagine.

At times we may feel lonely, but we are not abandoned.

As of now, if we were able to have a small meeting, we wouldn’t be able to give ‘’holy embraces all around.’’ Even so, let me encourage you to keep walking ‘’in Christ’s ways’’, and may you experience His deep peace.

PRAYER: Lord, like Peter’s readers, we find ourselves scattered, but by pandemic rather than persecution. Nevertheless, right where we are, help us to walk in your ways and enjoy your peace, knowing we are not here by accident.

” I have written to you briefly, encouraging you and testifying that this is the true grace of God. Stand fast in it.” NIV

’I’ve written as urgently and accurately as I know how. This is God’s generous truth; embrace it with both arms!’’ The Message

Discipleship is incompatible with a casual approach to the Bible.

I am attracted to this idea of embracing the truth with both arms. To my mind this speaks of welcoming it, loving it, feeling it, valuing it, holding it.

Try, with God’s help, to make it your habit to not just skim-read your Bible, but to hold its truth tight, next to your heart.

One way to do this is to take the text of Scripture and turn it into prayer. In doing so you meditate, and meditation has been called, ‘The digestive system of the soul.’

Don’t settle for the superficial reading of a Bible passage in your quiet time. It needs to become a part of you.

PRAYER: Lord God, please forgive me for those times when I handle your Word carelessly. Let this change from this day on.

^“12 With the help of Silas,whom I regard as a faithful brother, I have written to you briefly, encouraging you and testifying that this is the true grace of God. Stand fast in it.” NIV

^‘’I’m sending this brief letter to you by Silas, a most dependable brother. I have the highest regard for him’’ The Message.

Dependable brothers and sisters: where would we be without them? They are the backbone of any and every congregation. Although some may be in the limelight, most are not, but they are faithful. They are reliable. They get work done and people served, whether it’s noticed or not, acknowledged or not, applauded or not. It doesn’t matter to them.

But there is an appropriate place for affirming and appreciating people, as Peter does here. Don’t wait for their funeral to say nice things about them. There are honouring words to be spoken now.

Reading this reminded me of two older men in the ‘Elim’ church in Lancaster, Nic and John. Both were in their 50’s, and they were wonderful supportive friends to a young, long-haired pastor in his early 20’s. I will always be thankful for their hospitality, lifts to and from church (when I had no car), and many words of encouragement. John took me back to his place for coffee every Sunday night after church. Nic and his wife, Jean, had me over for meals twice a week. They prayed and fasted with me Wednesday by Wednesday, and Nic even had his car insured so I could drive it from time to time. (So he wasn’t risk averse!). These men were absolute ‘bricks’ – so supportive. As long as I live and breathe I will not forget them and what they did, and who they were. They weren’t famous. If I hadn’t told you about them you probably wouldn’t know their names. But they were ‘’dependable’’ brothers. Such people have a lasting influence, and their work is always known to God.

PRAYER: Lord, whatever else you make me, please make me reliable.

^“8 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. ⁹ Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.¹⁰ And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. ¹¹ To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.”

This entails just a little back-tracking, but I thought it would be good to read verses 8-11 in ‘The Message’

‘’Keep a cool head. Stay alert. The Devil is poised to pounce, and would like nothing better than to catch you napping. Keep your guard up. You’re not the only ones plunged into these hard times. It’s the same with Christians all over the world. So keep a firm grip on the faith. The suffering won’t last forever. It won’t be long before this generous God who has great plans for us in Christ—eternal and glorious plans they are!—will have you put together and on your feet for good. He gets the last word; yes, he does.’’

 We have seen that the context for 1 Peter is suffering. The church to which Peter wrote was facing hard times. But there is a key message to hold on to in this paragraph. Here it is:

‘’The suffering won’t last forever.’’

 An old negro-spiritual says,

‘All my trials, Lord, soon be over.

Whether your suffering today comes with a capital ‘S’ or a small ‘s’ it is temporary. It may feel like forever while you have to endure it, but the dawn will come; the day will break, and the Son will blaze in all His splendour. We have been called to God’s ‘’eternal glory’’, and by His everlasting power we can prevail.

PRAYER: Lord, in any sufferings we undergo help us to keep our eyes on you, and fill our souls with an ever-growing hope.

^“7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” NIV

A friend told me about being in a session, on a week-end retreat, in which the facilitator encouraged the participants to pummel this text with questions such as these:

• If I’ve ‘’Cast’’ it, where is it?
• Do I still have it?
• Is it in my hand?

The philosopher, Soren Kierkegaard, wrote:

‘You are to cast all care away; if you do not cast all care away, you retain it and do not become absolutely joyful. And if you do not cast it absolutely upon God, but in some other direction, you are not absolutely rid of it.’

Tom Hale says, ‘We may not be able to get rid of our trials and troubles, but we can get rid of our anxiety. We can give our anxiety to God (Psalm 55:22).’ ‘The Applied New Testament Commentary’, p.921.

‘God is linked to your little life by his tender regard and care for you.’ F.B.Meyer: ‘Devotional Commentary’, p.617.

‘’Cast your cares on the Lord
    and he will sustain you;
he will never let
    the righteous be shaken’’ (Psalm 55:22)

^“6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.” NIV

I had just finished writing yesterday’s note about the need to be intentional re humility, when someone sent me this quote from Dallas Willard:

‘Grace is opposed to earning, but not to effort’.

Some effort is involved in putting on clothes!

In my view, today’s verse parallels Philippians 2:1-11. We see there this principle at work. Jesus humbled Himself ‘’under God’s mighty hand’’ and, ‘’in due time’’ He was exalted. This is what I refer to as ‘God’s law of gravity’: Whatever goes down must come up!

‘’Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus…he humbled himself…’’ (Philippians 2:5,8).