Have you
had your JOY JUICE today? I can promise
that focusing on your personal serving of joy in the Lord will nurture a deeper
relationship with God.
In the book
of Nehemiah we are given an inside, personal look into the life of a man who
was sold out to God. Nehemiah was
promoted from cup-bearer to builder of the wall to governor of his people. And what is important to note is that unlike
so many people who receive promotions in their careers, Nehemiah remained
humble, faithful and realized from Whom his blessings came!
Nehemiah
nurtured his relationship with the Lord. Chuck Swindoll puts it this way, “In
spite of his salary, the privileges, the politics or the pressure, he said in
effect, ‘My accountability to my Lord is the focus of my life. I fear Him too much to indulge myself.’ “
In verse 19
of chapter 5, Nehemiah prayed: “Remember
me, O my God, for good, according to all that I have done for this people.” Now before we jump to the conclusion that
Nehemiah is bragging on himself a bit, let’s realize that he was praying to God
to hold him accountable for his actions and to treat him accordingly. How many of us pray like that? Do we REALLY want to be held accountable for
our actions …..and treated accordingly?
What truth
do we glean from Nehemiah’s example? “Adversity
forces us to trust, to wait on God, to turn to Him for strength. Often, promotion brings a host of
difficulties: pride, temptation to abuse privileges, distraction from the basic
objectives, and an inclination to overlook the needs of other people..” (Charles Swindoll)
Will you
pass the test of prosperity? Follow the
example of Nehemiah and joyfully trust in the Lord.
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