Unwavering

O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant, and to the prayer of your servants who delight to fear your name, and give success to your servant today, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man.” Nehemiah 1:11

Introduction

Are you ready to transition your faith from its current status to a mighty force of fearless devotion to God?  I am! We can do that together. God’s transforming word and talking to Him daily are powerful tools to build our faith. Studying the people of the bible helps us understand and appreciate the ups and downs of life. We share many of the same struggles our bible characters do. However, none of us are alone.

In this three week, on the go, study of scripture, we’ll have the opportunity to take a closer look at faith. Through three, very different prophets, we’ll see our circumstances do not have to define us. Moreover, it is here, we will see the unwavering faithfulness of God.

Our faith, I believe, starts with a clear understanding of who He is and how he persistently pursues his wayward people.

I’m excited to start this journey of faith. Please understand, even though we are working through large passages of scripture, we are not breaking down every theme of the book. We are taking an overview of the books and looking at one specific element; faith. Although, we’ll be skimming the surface of several themes throughout these three books, our focus is the unwavering faith of God.

A deeper look is certainly worthy of future study!

So, if you are interested in a thorough study of all elements in these books, I highly recommend studies through these publications:

First 5 — Opposition and Opportunity: the books of Ezra and Nehemiah https://first5.org/

Kelly Minter’s Nehemiah and Jennifer Rothschild‘s Hosea

Look at it this way: We’ll read it through with the lenses of comprehension and have a stronger understanding of where we’re going when we tackle it in the future.

Let’s begin today’s study with prayer. Please pray for the Holy Spirit to guide our thoughts and clear our minds of preconceived notions as we study God’s Word. May He open our hearts to His wisdom and prepare us to be good disciples in understanding His character. Therefore, learning to apply His character to our daily lives. We will begin with a short synopsis of Israel’s history as a nation.

Following the period of the Judges and Gideon hiding in the winepress; Israel’s faith is just like our own, highs and lows. They struggle through the Judicious period seeking to do what is right in their own eyes. Post Judges, a king is chosen. After the first disaster of leadership passes, David, a man after God’s heart is crowned king. Following his leadership, a long line of weak and strong kings rule. Israel is led to great power, wealth, and prosperity; to division and ultimate demise as a nation.  They are eventually taken captive to Babylon.

I’m excited to start day one with you! Let’s start today by reading Nehemiah 1-6 for an overview and comprehension of the scriptures in it’s context.