I Love The Night

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  “It was a glorious night. The moon had sunk, and left the quiet earth alone with the stars. It seemed as if, in the silence and the hush, while we her children slept, they were talking with her, their sister — conversing of mighty mysteries in voices too vast and deep for childish human ears to catch the sound. They awe us, these strange stars, so cold, so clear. We are as children whose small feet have strayed into some dim-lit temple of the god they have been taught to worship but know not; and, standing where the echoing dome spans the long vista of the shadowy light, glance up, half hoping, half afraid to see some awful vision hovering there. And yet it seems so full of comfort and of strength, the night. In its great presence, our small sorrows creep away, ashamed. The day has been so full of fret and care, and our hearts have been so full of evil and of bitter thoughts, and the world has seemed so hard and wrong to us. Then Night, like some great loving mother, gently lays ...

Nehemiah: Motivator and Mobilizer


Nehemiah met opposition head-on, giving it no chance to get a foot-hold nor give it any room to grow. His response was swift and direct. He was able to do so because: 

Nehemiah defined his mission. Nehemiah came to repair a wall. “Let us rise up and build” (2:18). When the opposition came casting doubt asking, “what is this thing that you are doing?” (2:19), he was able to answer them, “The God of heaven Himself will prosper us; therefore we His servants will arise and build.” (2:20b)

Nehemiah narrowed his focus. His critics have no heritage, right or memorial in the city (2:20c) but with a defined mission in mind, Nehemiah focused on his target and let nothing distract him from hitting it (3:1-32). Nehemiah’s focus was so narrow that he was able to name those who were rightfully there to support the mission. 

Nehemiah set a guard. Nehemiah protected his workers and their work. (Neh. 4:9-23) Any difficult endeavor tends to weaken just after the half-way mark. Strength was failing and their adversaries were noticing. Nehemiah weaponizes the people according to their families and encourages their renewed vigor, “do not be afraid of them . . . remember the Lord . . . fight . . . the work is great . . . wherever you hear the trumpet, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us.” (4:14, 19-20)

Nehemiah disarmed his enemies. (Neh. 5-6). In the sight of growing extortion (4:1-8) Nehemiah simplifies the battlefield by disarming his enemies through swift answers to every distraction with a mission-based response (6:3, 8, 11). He had no time for opposition.

Nehemiah did what others would not. (Neh. 5:8-19) Nehemiah works alongside the people, even giving sacrificially of his own stores and personal wealth to redeems (5:8), provides (5:10), relieves (5:14-15), works alongside (5:16) and shares (5:17-18), all motivated by his love for God (5:15)


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