Nehemiah's Example: Monday Manna

Real quick - I'm the featured member over at the FaithWriters Blog this morning. Check it out to find out a bit more about me. :D



Welcome to Monday Manna. The purpose of this meme is to get together and get to know Christ more through His Word. On the first and third Monday of each month, anyone who wishes can post their thoughts on a verse I introduced at my blog the Thursday before. It doesn't have to be a long post -- just a few thoughts, a picture you feel helps express it, a poem, a short story, a devotional.

Anyone is welcome to participate. Just put a link to your Monday Manna blog entry in the Linky Tools gadget below, and check out others' thoughts.

This Monday's verses were selected with yesterday in mind. But of course, as Christians, we know there is more to freedom than what we celebrate on 4th of July in the US, and on assorted and sundry days in other countries.

I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out your precepts. I will speak of your statutes before kings and will not be put to shame. Psalm 119:45-46

Looking forward to your thoughts. Mine are below.

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Sharing my faith with others - and even just my convictions - has always been difficult for me. I am praying about and working hard to fix it, but I am WAY too dependent on other people's opinions. It's incredible what I will do to avoid getting on people's "bad side," or even getting them a bit irritated.

So, when I spied these verses, they got me thinking. Mostly, surprisingly, about Nehemiah. Remember him? He was the cupbearer to the king - and not just any king: Artaxerxes, king of Babylon. And if there was anything the Babylonians were known for, it was their many gods. They had a god for everything.

Now Nehemiah's job was an important one, and one given only to the most trustworthy of servants. So this  cupbearer was clearly respected by the king.

Now, one might think that Nehemiah would have to compromise--or at least hide--his beliefs to be on such good terms with a monarch who had conquered the Hebrews. But he didn't. When Nehemiah "spoke of [His] statues before kings," requesting assistance to rebuild the walls of Judah (Nehemiah 2:1-9), Artaxerxes was not surprised at the request. He knew Nehemiah's devotion, because his cupbearer had sought God's precepts.

Nehemiah had no care for his impression with the king - only with his devotion to his King.  Despite being in servitude to Artaxerxes, he walked in freedom--the freedom of God's love and adherence to His precepts--freedom from sin.

Shouldn't we all follow Nehemiah's example?

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Thanks for reading. Be sure to link up below with your own thoughts on these verses, and read other folks' thoughts!




Paving Rough Roads With God's Presence