Devotionals

Leaders are to assess the challenges before them and then invite others to join them in overcoming them. I see this in Nehemiah. He arrives in Jerusalem, and before he tells everyone his plan, he takes time to assess the situation. Nehemiah 2:11-12 I went to...

We find Nehemiah praying and asking God to give him an opportunity before the king. God opens the door: Nehemiah 2:2 so the king asked me, “Why does your face look so sad when you are not ill? This can be nothing but sadness of heart.” Right here is where we can often...

Nehemiah heard the report of how the walls of Jerusalem were in ruins, and it broke his heart, and he wept. Nehemiah 1:3-4 They said to me, “Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken...

When God opens His hand when His face shines on us? We see that God opened the heart of King Artaxerxes. Ezra was a Jew, part of the diaspora who 70 years earlier was taken from Israel and whose temple was destroyed, and so was their worship. The king issues a decree...

What can be accomplished if you keep doing what is right and persevere to love and serve others? Finishing the book of Esther this morning and being overwhelmed by the persistent and resilient faith of both Mordechai and Esther. Haman had tricked the king into...

God has a way of turning hatred, deceit, and traps against those who would plot them. Haman had hated and despised Mordechai because he would not bow in his presence.  He then plotted and got the king to sign an edict to kill and plunder every Jew in the...