Thoughts

Cheeky?

In the New Living Translation, this is how verse 19 reads: "Remember, O my God, all that I have done for these people, and bless me for it."

When I read "...and bless me for it" I raised my eyebrows just a bit. That seems somewhat presumptuous, don't you think?

But then I thought of the prayer of Jabez in 1 Chronicles 4:10: “He was the one who prayed to the God of Israel, “Oh, that you would bless me and expand my territory! Please be with me in all that I do, and keep me from all trouble and pain!” And God granted him his request.”

Not At All

God granted Jabez's request, which tells us that God did not think Jabez's prayer was out of line. Jabez asked God to give him more, and God did it. Why? We don't have a lot to go on, except for the verse previous to what we just read. Verse 9 says: There was a man named Jabez who was more honorable than any of his brothers. His mother named him Jabez because his birth had been so painful. So now we know that Jabez was an honorable man.

And so was Nehemiah. This we know because everything we read of him here in the book that bears his name testifies to that fact. He did not take on this task of rebuilding the walls for personal gain. He did it to honor God and to help the people. 

God knows our heart, beloved. You cannot fool Him. And if our heart is pure, if our motivations are right and honorable, we can come to God in confidence and humbly ask Him to bless us. 

Today's Bible Translation

Bible translation used in today's episode: Ch. 5-6 NLT, Ch 7-8 NIRV, Ch. 9 NCV

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Live Not by Lies: A Manual for Christian Dissidents

By Rod Dreher / Sentinel

Aleksandr Solzhenitzyn once noted that people often assume that their democratic government would never submit to totalitarianism---but Dreher says it's happening. Sounding the alarm about the insidious effects of identity politics, surveillance technology, psychological manipulation, and more, he equips contemporary Christian dissidents to see, judge, and act as they fight to resist the erosion of our freedoms. 304 pages, hardcover from Sentinel.