unity – Be Still…

Nehemiah 7 – What’s Next?

Read Nehemiah 7

What’s next? The construction project was done, and it was time for Nehemiah to move the people into their new, safer reality. However, the powers of evil had not been eliminated, and the threats and intimidation were still fresh. Nehemiah deemed it necessary to set up some unusual security precautions.

From what we’ve learned so far in Nehemiah, the walls and towers may have been constructed for protection, but it is really God’s protection that shines through. God is the only one we can truly count on to keep us safe.

Nehemiah 3:1-32 – Communication

Read Nehemiah 3:1-32

That was quite a reading! To get the full effect of what was happening in this part of God’s plan, reading the whole chapter at once made sense. You may even want to read it over again so you can truly revel in the magnitude of Nehemiah’s mission and how he chronicled it for us, almost like a memoir.

Can’t you just picture the scene of men working together to reconstruct this critical piece of Jewish history! We’re given so much detail, recognizing many for their efforts. Nehemiah did a great job of recording these statistics for us. For those named, so many more were also dedicating this season of their lives to this project.

Ezra 3:7-13 – Let the Rebuilding Begin!

Read Ezra 3:7-13

Have you ever been part of a building project? Maybe you built your own home or worked for a company that broke ground for a new office complex. Interestingly, my husband David and I have been part of three huge building projects for three different congregations during his time of ministry in the United States. Now, I’m part of another large building project here in Mexico for the orphanage where I serve.

Construction projects take time and lots of planning. The coordination that goes into each facet of the design and implementation still boggles my mind. It’s with this background that I come to this text. If you’ve never been involved in any construction, suffice it to say that it’s a big deal. I can’t imagine what it would have been like in ancient times without all the conveniences we now have.

Philippians 2:1-11 – What is Being Christ-like?

Read Philippians 2:1-11

petals of a flower opening with the words Jesus Beautiful Savior

Yes. Yes. Yes. And, yes! I would say those are my answers to Paul’s first four questions. He seems to be urging his friends into spiritual unity. When we can all work together, caring for others and putting others first, we move closer to becoming more like Jesus. Selfish behavior can ruin a church while humility can restore and rebuild. Think about a situation in your church or community where grace and respect would have been the better answer.

Read these “warning” words from Paul again, “Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.” If you’re like me, you immediately pictured yourself in the “reprimand.” Now read this message again and picture Jesus and how he lived and interacted with others. How cool is that? Jesus totally lived out these words!

1 Corinthians 14:26-40 – Unity in the Community

Read 1 Corinthians 14:26-40

There are some troubling words in today’s reading—especially for the ladies! We’ll ponder all that, but it seems Paul is still trying to keep the church community in alignment with God’s desire for unity. By setting parameters and expectations for worship, Paul is helping the growing congregation from being a chaotic hot mess trying to do it all!

Paul includes some pretty specific guidelines for the use of spiritual gifts as well. We can all agree that it appears our gifts should work to nurture and bless the congregation. When you look around at your church friends, do you see how God has gifted them each differently? Is everyone using their gifts?