Nehemiah 13:10-14
Now, this may be an odd devotional for me to write as a person who is in a position of leadership here at Emmanuel. However, these passages and principles are so important for us to know, we cannot just skip over them. It is important for us to care for our leaders in multiple ways. How often do we look to pray for our spiritual leaders? How often are we looking to encourage them or support them? How often are we making sure to give faithfully so that they can be provided for? Do we ever look to stand up when leaders are being neglected?
We see that Nehemiah returns to Jerusalem after some time in Persia. When he returns, he sees that some of the spiritual life was unraveling, and worship had become weak. The Temple ministry had become quiet because the Levites were left without provision, and they had to return to the fields to provide for themselves. This happened because the people had stopped supporting them, and we see that the spiritual life of their community was suffering.
Of course, when Nehemiah saw this, he didn’t just allow it to continue. We have seen that Nehemiah was not afraid to do what was right. He confronted the leaders, helped reorganize systems, restored the Levites to their roles, and made sure that the people would continue to support. Nehemiah made sure to protect something that mattered greatly, the spiritual well-being of God’s people and those who led them.
This can remind us that leaders need to be supported and cared for as well. It is serious to God how the people take care of and treat those who serve them. The whole community is weakened when leaders are overlooked, exhausted, or unsupported. We see the community flourish when the leaders are strengthened, encouraged, and supported. It is important for us to realize that when we take care of our leaders, we are taking care of who God put in place. We are worshipping God by taking care of our leaders. That is the mindset we must have. Too often, we focus on our disagreements with a leader or how we want to do something different. Let us instead focus on how God put them in that place and focus on how we can support them as well. It works well when both sides are looking to help and support each other, just as God intended.
So again I will ask, when was the last time that you have prayed for your spiritual leaders? When was the last time you looked to encourage or support them? Do you give faithfully, knowing that you are contributing to their support? Are you willing to stand up for their support if they are being neglected?
Now, this may be an odd devotional for me to write as a person who is in a position of leadership here at Emmanuel. However, these passages and principles are so important for us to know, we cannot just skip over them. It is important for us to care for our leaders in multiple ways. How often do we look to pray for our spiritual leaders? How often are we looking to encourage them or support them? How often are we making sure to give faithfully so that they can be provided for? Do we ever look to stand up when leaders are being neglected?
We see that Nehemiah returns to Jerusalem after some time in Persia. When he returns, he sees that some of the spiritual life was unraveling, and worship had become weak. The Temple ministry had become quiet because the Levites were left without provision, and they had to return to the fields to provide for themselves. This happened because the people had stopped supporting them, and we see that the spiritual life of their community was suffering.
Of course, when Nehemiah saw this, he didn’t just allow it to continue. We have seen that Nehemiah was not afraid to do what was right. He confronted the leaders, helped reorganize systems, restored the Levites to their roles, and made sure that the people would continue to support. Nehemiah made sure to protect something that mattered greatly, the spiritual well-being of God’s people and those who led them.
This can remind us that leaders need to be supported and cared for as well. It is serious to God how the people take care of and treat those who serve them. The whole community is weakened when leaders are overlooked, exhausted, or unsupported. We see the community flourish when the leaders are strengthened, encouraged, and supported. It is important for us to realize that when we take care of our leaders, we are taking care of who God put in place. We are worshipping God by taking care of our leaders. That is the mindset we must have. Too often, we focus on our disagreements with a leader or how we want to do something different. Let us instead focus on how God put them in that place and focus on how we can support them as well. It works well when both sides are looking to help and support each other, just as God intended.
So again I will ask, when was the last time that you have prayed for your spiritual leaders? When was the last time you looked to encourage or support them? Do you give faithfully, knowing that you are contributing to their support? Are you willing to stand up for their support if they are being neglected?
Posted in Devotional