21 Days with Nehemiah

“After the wall had been rebuilt and I had set the doors in place, the gatekeepers, the musicians and the Levites were appointed.” Nehemiah 7:1  Having rebuilt the walls and gates, Nehemiah appoints gatekeepers, musicians and the Levites to guard the doors, to worship and to intercede for the people, respectively. Jerusalem is to be protected from the enemy and the gatekeepers are appointed to decide who may enter the city and who may not. The musicians are appointed to worship and praise God and are even placed on the wall during the dedication of the wall (see 12:31)! The Levites are to perform “the service of their God and the service of purification” for the people (see 12:45). The ministries of the gatekeepers, the musicians and the priests require discernment, devotion and dedication . Once our spiritual walls are rebuilt, we need discernment, devotion and dedication to protect what God has restored in our lives. Discernment to know what is, and what is not of God, b...

“Don’t be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your families, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes.” Nehemiah 4:14 Once again, having heard “t hat the repairs to Jerusalem’s walls had gone ahead and that the gaps were being closed”, Israel’s enemies became very angry and threatened to attack the city and the people (4:7). The enemy’s tactic is exposed once again! If he cannot stop God’s work through intimidation, privately and publicly, he will seek to attack those in the flock whose walls are at their lowest. The enemy tries to intimidate the weak so that they begin to sow doubt and fear within the flock! The people began to report, “our enemies said, ‘Before they know it or see us, we will be right there among them and will kill them and put an end to the work.” Then the Jews who lived near them came and told us ten times over, “Wherever you turn, they will attack us” (4:11,12). If the enemy cannot intimidate fro...