Seventh Day Baptist
Christian Education Council
PO BOX 1678
Janesville, WI 53547
—Nehemiah 1:1-4
by: Angie Osborn.
As the book of Nehemiah begins, Nehemiah faced news that saddened him greatly. The Jewish remnant that survived the exile was in trouble. Nehemiah learned that the walls of Jerusalem were destroyed. The wall was useless.
Nehemiah's reaction to this news is somewhat startling-he wept. His heart was with the Jewish people and he knew they were in trouble. But Nehemiah didn't stop there. He didn't just weep and mourn. Within the first few verses of this book, we see that Nehemiah was a man of prayer. When he needed guidance, direction, or encouragement, he turned to the Lord. What an example to us! If only we would so quickly turn to God!