Nehemiah the Civil Servant - Part 2

In the last devotion we considered in Chapter 1, how Nehemiah was conscientious even as he served in the palace of the king. He was working. It reminds us that God does not use lazy people. That's a very important requirement of an effective leader or servant (or debtor): “Diligent hands will rule, but laziness ends in slave labor” (Proverbs 12:24); his future is bleak: “A slugged does not plow in season; so at harvest time he looks but finds nothing” ( Proverbs 20:4); he may come to poverty: “The soul of the lazy man desires and has nothing; but the soul of the diligent shall be made rich” ( Proverbs 3:4 KJV).

Second we saw the concern of Nehemiah in Chapter 1:2 - I questioned them about the Jewish remnant that survived the exile, and also about Jerusalem.He was concerned about the welfare of his people and more importantly the City of God, Jerusalem. In spite of being a great government official and in a foreign country, he has concern for God and the matters pertaining to God. Jerusalem was the city of his forefathers and he was probably the third generation born in exile, yet there was an attachment for the things of God. In Haggai Chapter 1:3 - Then the word of the LORD came through the prophet ,"Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?" There the people were more concerned with matters pertaining to themselves and the matters of God took a low priority. God's house was in shatters but no one cared.

The question we need to ask ourselves is, are we concerned about the affairs of God and that which pertains to His kingdom. Does the fact that souls perish around us bother us? Does the recent catastrophes in Chile, and Haiti move us with concern or is it just another breaking news. What is our involvement in the running of the church? A believer should do more than just attend the service on a Sunday. A leader should have more concern for the affairs of God than his personal affairs.

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