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August – September 2026: The Book of Nehemiah
On Tuesday 18th August we began a brand new series of Daily Inspirations – in the Book of Nehemiah. It’s a riveting tale of someone being called by God to do something amazing – and then doing it! Nehemiah is a wonderful character, full of faith, wisdom and practical common sense. Let’s journey with him over the next three weeks or so, and be inspired by his example.
- Day 24, Monday 21st September – Nehemiah 13:15-22 ‘Respecting the Sabbath’
We live in a workaholic society. Take the Enlightenment dogma of continuous progress, mix with a subtle blend of the Protestant work ethic, add a sprinkling of consumerist worship at the altar of customer entitlement, shake thoroughly and hey presto! A fabulous modernist cocktail. And, like a cocktail, tasty as it seems at the time, drink too many and you’ll pay for it in the end.
Teaching on the value of sabbath has never been more important, or harder to achieve. It’s tempting to think, though, that it ‘must’ have been easier in ancient times. Not so; although at first reading today’s passage appears as yet another example of ‘silly’ disobedience on the part of God’s people – they know what they needed to do, they just didn’t do it – look below the surface and this fragile community were facing serious pressures. Imagine leaving Babylon – the largest and wealthiest empire in the world – to set up business again in Israel: chances are business was tough, the large and lucrative markets weren’t there, especially with hostile nations around them. No wonder they were tempted to open on the Sabbath; to do seven days of business rather than six.
It’s so easy to think like that, isn’t it? But to do so misses the ultimate point of Sabbath: it is not just about rest (though that is vital and fundamental), it’s about trust. We stop for a day, trusting God to provide for our needs. We refuse to believe the appealing little lie that our success in life depends entirely on our own efforts. We remind ourselves that we are not our own gods, and joyfully submit to the one true God, who graciously and lovingly provides what we need.
This is what Nehemiah was so worked up about; we might see his response as an over-reaction, but Nehemiah knew his history: (v18) ‘Didn’t your ancestors do the same things, so that our God brought all this calamity on us and on this city? Now you are stirring up more wrath against Israel by desecrating the Sabbath.’ The Sabbath, almost more than any other commandment, was a touchstone of the people’s relationship with the Lord – precisely because it indicated how much they were trusting Him. Hence the extreme measures Nehemiah took to preserve it (vv19-21).
As we reflect today, let’s return to those Sabbath themes of rest and trust. Which speaks to you? Where is the Lord nudging you toward renewal in your life? And let’s use the words of Nehemiah’s simple prayer as our response: (v22) ‘Remember me… my God, and show mercy to me according to your great love.’ Amen.
- Saturday 19th September – John 1:29-34 ‘Deeply dipped’Read more...
Following our reflection yesterday on the need for inner transformation to effect real and deep change, we conclude our week revisiting a passage in John on the same theme:
Every so often an innovation comes along which changes the game. The product remains the same, but once this innovation is launched, what was once perfectly acceptable is no ...
- Day 23, Friday 18th September – Nehemiah 13:1-14 ‘Promises, promises’Read more...
People can’t obey God.
Or at least, not all of the time, or even most of the time. You could say that, ‘People can’t obey God’ is a pretty good summary of the whole Old Testament, certainly its history books. Renewal is only ever temporary, things usually go back to how they were after a while. Nothing new ...
- Day 22, Thursday 17th September – Nehemiah 12:44-47 ‘The gift of worship’Read more...
Strictly speaking, I don’t earn anything at all. I haven’t done for 16 years now.
What ministers get paid is called a ‘stipend’ rather than a ‘salary’. It’s easy to forget why this matters. I’ve often caught myself referring to my role in ways that suggest I earn a wage: if someone thanks me, I’ll make a joke ...
- Day 21, Wednesday 16th September – Nehemiah 12:27-43 ‘Days of celebration’Read more...
There is something wonderful about worshipping the Lord in a large gathering. I first experienced that powerfully at Easter 1999, when I attended Spring Harvest. Walking into the Big Top for the first evening celebration and realising there were 5,000 people there gave me goosebumps. I had never praised God in such a large crowd, and it was thrilling. People from ...
- Day 20, Tuesday 15th September – Nehemiah 11:21-12:26 ‘A people of promise’Read more...
What are you like with lists? Did you find todays passage a fascinating journey through some exotic names and even more exotic places? Or a dreary trawl through meaningless information?
The bible is full of lists; and we’ve already seen several big lists in this little book so far: ch3, ch7, ch10 and even yesterday in the first ...