Van Life Devotions

Nehemiah understood that he had a God-given task to complete, and he would not allow the opposition to divert him from it. He remained focussed, prayed for God's strength and continued working until the wall was completed 

Nehemiah’s leadership teaches that as you build and succeed, never neglect the needs of those around you, on your team, and particularly your family. God is concerned not only with what we build but also with how we treat those around us. 

Are you experiencing opposition? Everywhere you turn, are you confronted with barriers to your vision or ministry?  It can be demoralising. Setbacks do not have to mean surrender. Nehemiah chapter 4 gives us what to do when opposition comes.

Nehemiah chapter three is a wonderful picture of the church. Everyone has a part to play. 

Hello and thank you for joining me on Van Life Devotions. The Bible says, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens” (Ecclesiastes 3:1 NIV). It then lists twenty-eight activities which includes “a time to build” (Ecclesiastes 3:3 NIV). Today, there may be a person listening that needs to hear that for you, it is time to build. For Nehemiah, He heard God say that it’s time to build. 

When your heart is broken, what do you do? Perhaps you are like me; you spring into action and try to mend, healing, or fix the situation. Nehemiah, a biblical leader, sprang into action but in a different way. 

It’s probably happened to you. That moment that you received news that broke your heart? Was it a phone call about someone you love, a report of suffering nearby, or the realisation that someone you care about is struggling. Sometimes the brokenness around us becomes so real that we hardly know what to do with what we feel. Nehemiah understood that experience. 

Darkness has a way of magnifying our fears. It's no wonder David began Psalm 27 by declaring that the Lord is his light. He knew what it was like to face dark days. David chose to focus not on his circumstances, but on the character of God. His courage was grounded in God's mighty presence.

When you taste food, you experience its flavor. David invites people to experience God. We are not just to believe in the Lord's goodness; we are to experience His goodness. And David in Psalm 34 gives reasons as to why God is good. David leant to put his trust in God and the Lord delivered. And now he issues the invitation to all, “taste and see that the Lord is good”. 

They say that honesty is the best policy, which it is, not only in our relationships with others but also in our relationship with God. David wrote Psalm 142 while hiding in a cave. One of the most striking things about Psalm 142 is David's honesty.