Nehemiah: Visions Encounter Opposition
Issue #85, July 4, 2012 The wall was going up brick by brick and the vision was beginning to become a reality. But it wasn’t long before opposition surfaced. When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became angry and was greatly incensed. (Nehemiah 4:1) Sanballat is soon joined by his friend Tobiah […]
Nehemiah: Visions Require Work
Issue #84, June 20, 2012 So far Nehemiah’s leadership has been mostly thinking, dreaming and talking. All of this was necessary but the vision was to rebuild the wall around Jerusalem. Nehemiah’s vision was developed and communicated to the people with one objective, to motivate them to work on the wall. Walls are built of […]
Nehemiah: Visions Demand More Communication
Issue #83, June 6, 2012 The officials did not know where I had gone or what I was doing, because as yet I had said nothing to the Jews or the priests or nobles or officials or any others who would be doing the work. Then I said to them, “You see the trouble we […]
Nehemiah: Visions Demand Communication
Issue #82, May 23, 2012 Nehemiah’s vision and plans are good enough to get him out of the king’s palace and on the road to Jerusalem, but he has a major step remaining before work on the wall will begin. He has to communicate his vision to those who will help him with the work. […]
Nehemiah: Visions Require Planning
Issue #81, May 9, 2012 Leaders love to dream about projects and Nehemiah’s dream was worth dreaming about. But dreams alone don’t turn visions into walls. Visions require plans that chart the course and Nehemiah was a master planner. Then the king, with the queen sitting beside him, asked me, "How long will your journey […]
Nehemiah: Visions are Specific
Issue #80, April 25, 2012 Nehemiah’s vision was large but it was not general. Notice the first words he speaks to anyone else about his call. The king said to me, “What is it you want?” Then I prayed to the God of heaven, and I answered the king, “If it pleases the king and […]
Nehemiah: Visions are Large
Issue #79, April 11, 2012 At first glance the vision of Nehemiah looks simple: to rebuild the wall around Jerusalem. As we read his story from our 21st century perspective, it is difficult to understand the enormity of his task. Most of us have never constructed a stone wall and we no longer have walled […]
Nehemiah: Visions are Personal
Issue #78, March 28, 2012 The vision to build the wall in Jerusalem was a specific vision that God gave Nehemiah and for that season of his life this vision was his personal calling. God had uniquely shaped his character and placed him in a position of influence to meet the critical need in Jerusalem. […]
Nehemiah: Visions Respond to Need
Issue #77, March 14, 2012 We have examined the foundation of Nehemiah’s vision to build the wall. It was based on his character and birthed in prayer. In this issue we’ll observe that Nehemiah’s vision was not about himself but about others. It came as a response to the report he received about Jerusalem. They […]
Nehemiah: Vision is birthed in prayer
Issue #76, February 29, 2012 The first response of Nehemiah to the desperate needs of his city was prayer. “When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven” (Nehemiah 1:4). His heart was deeply stirred by the report from Jerusalem […]