Welcome to Kendra Graham’s online Bible study. This is a place where we can come together and share in our journey towards Scriptural truths and spiritual maturity. We pray this will be a safe, respectful, resourceful place to come and discuss God’s Word…to discover What it says…What it means…and What it means to you!
Kendra Graham NOTES from Nehemiah 4:20-23
WHAT DOES IT SAY? THE FACTS ONLY PLEASE.
In this step you need to list the outstanding facts of the passage. DON’T get caught up in the details, just list the facts. Do not paraphrase. Use the actual words of the passage. This is God’s Word, a lot of times this step seems tedious to some, but I urge you, as we read, and say and write God’s Word, it begins to sink deep into our hearts. If you just pick one fact out of the verse, write it down and meditate on it.
Verse 20: Whatever place you hear the sound, rally. Our God will fight for us.
Verse 21: So we carried on the work. Half holding spears from dawn until stars.
Verse 22: Let each man with his servant spend the night within Jerusalem, a guard by night and laborer by day.
Verse 23: So none of us removed our clothes, each took his weapon, even to water.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN? THE LESSONS.
Look for a lesson to learn from each fact. What are the people doing that they should be doing? What are the people doing that they shouldn’t be doing?
Is there a command to follow? A promise to claim? A warning to heed? An example to follow?
Verse 20: There is no question or reservation given in this statement. God will fight for us. God does not leave His people out to dry. God calls, God equips and God completes that which He has called you to be part of. Easy to say, hard to believe. Courage now.
Verse 21: The work did not suffer. It is not that God’s people were not afraid, they were. God’s people were very afraid, they were afraid for their own lives and the lives of their family, but God here and now called them to stand and not falter, so they stood. Together they stood on the promises of God, not the plan of a person. If they needed to hold spears in one hand and a trowel in the other, so be it. They would stand. I LOVE THIS!
Verse 22 & 23: Perseverance to the end. God’s people decided to stay alert. They were always ready to respond. This is hard work! This is where exhaustion sets in and it is easy to say, “Oh, forget it, it’s not worth it….” God’s people in Nehemiah 4 here battled the enemy from beyond the walls, faced up, and persevered. Oh that we will have the same story, that those who come behind us, find us faithful as well! These final verses of Nehemiah 4 remind me of the verses: “Let us not sleep like others do, but let us watch and be sober” (I Thess. 5:6), and the parable of the 10 virgins in Matthew 25 that Jesus told…. oh how we need to be watching and ready!
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO ME NOW? APPLY IT…. TODAY.
Take the lessons you learned and put them into the form of a personal question that you would ask your spouse, or a friend or your son or daughter.
As you write the questions, listen for God to communicate to you through His Word.
*Do not rush. Do not write things down just to have something on paper, this step takes more time that you may think. This is where Scripture meditation becomes real, this is where you begin to hear that still small voice speak to you, and place His finger in your life and begin to direct your paths…. this day, and the next, and the next. Do you trust Him enough to put into place that which He is moving you to?
Verse 20: Do I respond in times of fear with confidence in God’s promises? Do I think God will keep His promise to everyone else in human history, but me? Not so much? When have I seen the Truth of God’s promise worked out in my life or the life of someone close to me?
Verse 21: Will I stand tall or shrink back on what God has called me to do?
Verse 22 & 23: Am I watchful, ready to respond, prepared with the armor of God in Ephesians 6, or have I gotten lax, and let the enemy close? Will I continue the work to which I was called, or quit in exhausted exasperation because I thought it would be easier?
LIVE IT OUT!
LORD, give me the vision to see the enemy, the ability to prepare, and the courage to stand on Your promises as I go out today.
Homework: Nehemiah 5:1
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Get stuck? www.annegrahamlotz.com and Anne will walk through the Three Questions with you and help you along!