Just two more godly characteristics found in these first few verses of Nehemiah 7.... these are things that matter to God. These are things that will help us to live lives that count for Him.
(Don't worry, that picture up there will make sense in a minute.)
Here are our verses again:
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. 3 I said to them, “The gates of Jerusalem are not to be opened until the sun is hot. While the gatekeepers are still on duty, have them shut the doors and bar them. Also appoint residents of Jerusalem as guards, some at their posts and some near their own houses.” (v. 2-3)Did you notice that?
Hananiah feared God more than many.
Some fear God a little. Others fear God more.
Are we talking "quaking in our boots" or "knees knocking" kind of fear? Not exactly. Although when we see Who God is, and we realize who we are in comparison, it's not uncommon to fall on our faces in fear. Many in the Bible did. They realized, as should we, that He could rightly cast us into hell because of our many sins.
The fear of God grows out of the knowledge of God.
Praise the Lord.Blessed are those who fear the Lord, who find great delight in his commands. (Psalm 112:1)
Blessed are all who fear the Lord, who walk in obedience to him. You will eat the fruit of your labor; blessings and prosperity will be yours. (Psalm 128:1-2)
Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name. (Nehemiah 1:11a)Our Father has been merciful to us, and saved us through the sacrifice of His precious Son; we should enjoy the comfort of His friendship, but never allot ourselves to presume on His grace - never become so casual that we are irreverent toward Him. He knows our every thought and our every deed; we should seek to please Him. This important godly characteristic will help our lives to count for God.
The last characteristic that I wanted to talk with you about is watchfulness. Ahhh, that brings us to the family of geese up there at the top. No, seriously!
It's amazing that about one hundred years ago, Canada geese were almost wiped out. Now, their numbers are rebounding, and some folks even think of them as nuisances! Having raised ducklings, I have seen the differences in the waterfowl "parents" and have enjoyed observing the goslings. Mama goose is usually the one who introduces the babies to different food sources, and she teaches them to swim, too. Papa? His job is to watch. And boy, does he do it well! He pays little attention to his own needs; I have seen them ignore food to continue watching mom and goslings. Papa will turn his head this way and that, scouting for dangers. Dogs, cats, snakes, other large birds, and oy ve!! Humans! His utterances will change from quiet, gutteral sounds to loud, anxious honks as he herds the babies away from the danger that has popped up.
We saw in previous chapters that Nehemiah used both the trowel and the sword in building the walls. Now he is making sure that guards are posted, and He gives careful instructions to the leaders he is appointing. He makes certain that they know, really know the need to guard the city. Nehemiah trusts God, but he also knows the need for watchfulness.
Jesus told us to be on the alert. Peter told us that we must be alert because the devil prowls about and seeks to devour us. As believers, we need to be ever so watchful for the spiritual dangers that Satan strews across our path like a toddler tossing petals at a wedding. As single believers, we must be careful of things that could compromise our testimony. As married believers, we must be alert to things that could harm our marriages. As parents, we must watch for things that could destroy our children.
A time of success is a critical time to be on guard. After a battle with the devil, if we think we've won, WATCH OUT!! We can't let down our guard. We need to be on guard in our homes, as well. Did you notice that Nehemiah tasked each one with standing on guard in front of his own house? It's in verse three.....you can hop over there, quick like a bunny and we will wait....
How can we apply verse three to our lives today? We need to guard what shows and movies come into our home. Guard what comes in on our computer, or on our smartphone. If we have children still in our care, we need to take caution if they spend the night at another home - what are their plans? Who is supervising? They may chafe at our "nosy" questions, but we can warn them about spiritual dangers and how to get help, as well.
This is our last post for the week. Let's commit to making our lives count for God -- let's worship Him, and let's build godly character: faithfulness, reverence for God, and watchfulness.
Join me next week as we continue with chapter seven of Nehemiah!
Such a lot in what you write above! Yes, I agree, fear means deep reverence. It is something I think that has become quite rare in some of the happy clappy rather casual churches that preach God is your mate! Not so! He is my Saviour and my Lord, but also my friend and teacher. In fact he should be our everything! Much to think about here! x
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