RUBLE TROUBLE: For our family devotion, we have been studying (over the last 6 weeks) the book of Nehemiah, the 3000 year-old story of a lowly servant who persuaded the king of Persia to let God’s people return after 70 years in exile.

7.5 nuggets we picked:

1. Many of us are informed beyond our obedience. The greatest work the world has witnessed is not accomplished by professionals; Nehemiah, a butler, undertook a major civil engineering job and accomplished it in a record 52 days.

2. Great accomplishments are achieved by teams, not individuals.

3. It’s a thousand times easier to criticize than to create. Refuse to debate your detractors.

4. God is good but prepare to fight!

5. There’s power in the things we believe, and proclaim. Do you believe God’s good hand is upon you, or do you spend your days lamenting about all that is going wrong – your spouse, work place, the economy, ad infinitum?

6. Through Prayer we become attentive to what God is doing around us. Prayer moves the right people, into the right place, at the right time – for the right reasons.

7. Nothing strengthens authority more than keeping the lid on our mouths. Often, the best place to keep “what is on your mind” is in your heart.

7.5 Everything looks like failure in the middle. Think about that.