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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.
- Thursday 25th June – Daniel 5:8-12 ‘Infectious integrity’Read more...
Every year or two I go on a pilgrimage. Not the usual kind of pilgrimage, I must confess. Mine is to the Rembrandt rooms at the National Gallery in London. Mostly I go to gaze at the two self-portraits: one painted when Rembrandt was 34 and at the peak of his powers; the other a few months before his death aged ...
- Wednesday 24th June – Ezekiel 36:24-28 ‘A heart of flesh’Read more...
How does a person become good? This fundamental question has been exercising humanity since time began. We are moral beings; we understand concepts of goodness and badness, we know that some lives are better than others, and some actions are better than others. But knowing something is one thing: doing it is a different matter!
Many huge brains have thought ...
- Tuesday 23rd June – Isaiah 61:1-3 ‘The year of the Lord’s favour’Read more...
A 30-year-old man arrives for weekly worship in his home town. He’s lived there since he was a child, worked in the town with his father, and no doubt most of his family are sat with him that morning. It’s his turn to read from the scriptures, and when the time comes he gets up and walks to the front. The ...
- Monday 22nd June – Isaiah 11:1-9 ‘New shoots’Read more...
The opening chapters of Isaiah make for fairly sobering reading. Whilst there are the great prophecies we treasure and read at Christmas – the virgin birth of ch7, the ‘Wonderful Counsellor’ of ch9 – Israel is largely challenged by God for its lack of attention to Him and His ways.
Isaiah prophecies that other nations will overpower them ...
- Saturday 20th June – Psalm 104:1-4,27-35 ‘The Spirit of renewal’Read more...
For most of us, 2020 was been a spring like no other. The effects of COVID-19 have been long-lasting, and its memories will live with us for the rest of our lives. And yet, alongside the pain and the challenges of that season, for many of us ‘a spring like no other’ held true in a different sense. The enforced quietness ...