Words of Encouragement

When we take building up the things that God has required of us, we can build up a strong "wall" that cannot be broken down.  Are you building up the "walls" that will protect others?  Are you seeking a presence of excellence because of your reverence of God?

Moreover, from the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, until his thirty-second year—twelve years—neither I nor my brothers ate the food allotted to the governor. But the earlier governors—those preceding me—placed a heavy burden on the people and took forty shekels [a] of silver from them in addition to food and wine. Their assistants also lorded it over the people. But out of reverence for God I did not act like that. Instead, I devoted myself to the work on this wall. All my men were assembled there for the work; we [b] did not acquire any land. - Nehemiah 5:14-16

Reverence of God. In Our Treatment of Others. Nehemiah is speaking about his intergrity.  Yes, when you are in a place of reverence to God, your personal intergrity is very important to you because it reflects who you are in God.

Nehemiah tells about how the one in leadership before him was not good to the people. Nehemiah said I did not treat you wrong nor did I lord my power over you, why?  It was because he was devoted to the things of God and that devotion required excellence in Nehemiah. This excellence is not his own excellence, but it is because of the reverence of God working in him and through him so that the excellence of God can be exhibited.

Today Lord we thank you for giving us the desire to work towards excellence in everything we do. Lord let it first start with you and then let it show itself in how we treat others.  This we pray, Amen.