Key Verse: Nehemiah 8:1
“Now all the people gathered together as one man in the open square that was in front of the Water Gate; and they told Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded Israel.”
With GOD, they were able to finish repairing the ruins. We can say that, Nehemiah has successfully fulfilled his call. But, as a leader, he was not supposed to stop and retreat, as he had done his part. He had to spiritually uplift the people as well. One’s spiritual life is more important than any materialistic possessions. We can see a balance between spiritual growth and materialistic repair in the book of Nehemiah. He initially repaired the wounds of the city and then motivated the people to get back on the right track by paying heed to the word of GOD. The people “gathered themselves” to hear the word of GOD- which means that they realized the true value of the word of GOD.
Nehemiah gathered people who could hear and understand and exhorted them to:
- Take a step closer to GOD
- Reflect the same in their lives
- Motivate others to get back on the right track
And those who understood the above, should correct others when they went off the track.
When the people heard the WORD of the GOD, they worshipped and praised GOD for all HIS provision and love. The WORD of GOD touched their hearts and they were moved to tears. We can say that, a revival broke out when they heard the Scripture. True revival brings repentance.
The word of GOD brings:
- Tears of repentance
- Joy of salvation
- Joy of fellowship
- Joy of sharing
If we lack any of these in our lives, get back to the word of GOD. Giving importance to the word of GOD brings drastic changes in our lives. As I heard the word of GOD a few days back, “If you don’t spend time with GOD’s word, you are not allowing GOD to guide your life!” Allow GOD to guide you and make an impact on us so that we can be effective for HIM.
Practical Living: Being someone who walks according to GOD’s WORD, a leader is an indirect motivator, who imparts his character onto others. JESUS imparted HIS divine nature and character onto HIS disciples and they followed the same pattern.
