Complaining is draining! It only takes away energy from today and never solves problems for tomorrow. And what’s more, a complaining tongue reveals an ungrateful heart. Here in Nehemiah 5, we see that tension was growing among God’s people as complainers voiced their grievances. Some of these complaints were legitimate, but Nehemiah set out to fix the issues and stop the protests.

I. The Local Condition (vv. 1-5)

II. The Leader’s Reaction (vv. 6-7)

III. The Loving Solution (vv. 7-19)

Talk with God: Meditate on 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal the situations in your life that you are more prone to complain about than to pray about.

Talk with others: Ask a mentor or trusted believer to hold you accountable to pray and give thanks in everything as you “follow the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:18) this week.

Talk with kids: How does Jesus save us from God’s judgment of sin?