The name of the Lord is a strong fortress; the godly run to him and are safe.
Proverbs 18:10
A Mighty Fortress is our God!
As Seed Basket continues to enjoy Solomon’s book of Proverbs, today we are going to focus on verse 10 in relation to Nehemiah, the Old Testament prophet.
I have linked Proverbs 18 for you in case you’re following our journey through this insightful book from God’s Word.
Have you ever had an interest in learning more about some of the men and women in the Bible?
Admittedly, I have been a lazy Bible reader for more years than I care to recall. But as I have aged I have been patiently drawn closer to God in ways that I never saw coming.
Part of that deepening relationship has occurred through a much more intensive study of the Bible. Of course, the Spirit of God is my teacher. His tender ways of showing me treasure in the Word has been so inspiring. I can’t believe apathy held me far too long in it’s grasp.
Well, you can have a richer relationship with God, too. Or, maybe you have it now. Some of my readers know what I am talking about.
You…brought water for them out of the rock for their thirst,
Nehemiah 9:15 (ESV)
None of us have arrived spiritually. Our walk with Jesus is a process that continues throughout our lives.
I can’t think of a better Bible character to demonstrate how to draw closer to God than Nehemiah. There are other heroes of the faith that equal his persistent heart for God, but I can’t imagine any that exceed it, besides Jesus.
Why?
Because in the middle of sorrow and terror, Nehemiah clung to God with determination. His strength of character came from talking to God and from knowing the Word of God that was available at the time.
He was humble and obedient in everything, and he saw God’s mercy time and again.
For example, Nehemiah was the cupbearer to the wicked King of Babylon. That doesn’t sound too bad, does it? Well, when you realize that it was Nehemiah’s duty to taste the king’s wine to be sure it wasn’t poisoned, then you see the frightful post that he held.
But God never let Nehemiah come to harm.
…I was very much afraid.
Nehemiah 2:2 (ESV)
…So I prayed to the God of heaven
Nehemiah 2:4 (ESV)
…for the good hand of my God was upon me.
Nehemiah 2:8 (ESV)
Nehemiah wasn’t sinless. His prayers reveal that he was well aware of his own sin and the need for repentance. He did confess his sin and he repented because all he desired was a relationship with God.
Here is what I would like to encourage you to do. Get to know Nehemiah better. One way to do that is to learn the prayers that Nehemiah offered to God.
I am going to give you links to each prayer. Read them from your favorite translation of the Bible.
Nehemiah’s prayer consisted of
- Remembering God’s character, love, power and His commandments
- Contrition, confession and repentance
- Reminder of God’s promises
- Request for God to be attentive to Nehemiah’s prayer and that God would receive glory
- Request for God’s favor
Pray before making decisions or plans. Pray when dealing with others.
Pray for your enemies and your friends. Trust God to hold you fast.
Don’t seek to make a name for yourself. Obey and serve God and let His divine rewards be everything you will ever need.
Wicked people can’t rob what God has planned for you. Trust Him.
Wicked people can’t rob your peace with God.
Let your prayers be filled with praise!
Honor God by keeping His statutes and commands. Love His Church and pray for it.
(NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Getting the Seed out of the basket and into hungry hearts. Matthew 13 