Scripture to Read: Nehemiah 5:1-5
We read today in Nehemiah 5:1-5 that the families in Jerusalem were having financial struggles. In Nehemiah 5:2, we can gather that the people of Jerusalem had been working on the wall for so long that they had neglected to work in their fields to get grain. In Nehemiah 5:3, we read that their struggle was due to the famine and that the people had to mortgage their homes, fields, and vineyards to buy grain. In Nehemiah 5:4, we find that some had borrowed money to pay the king’s tax on the fields and vineyards. Finally, in Nehemiah 5:5, we find that some had even sold their children into slavery because they had already sold their fields to pay their bills. God never wants us to be in bondage to our finances, and we must be good stewards of our time and money. Tough times will come for everyone because that is how this life goes. But if we are unwise stewards of our time and money when things are going well, then we will reap the consequences of our unwise decisions when tough times come. God had provided, through King Artaxerxes, everything needed to rebuild the wall around Jerusalem so that was not costing the people anything. But the famine, which they had zero control over, brought tough times, and maybe for some, financial woes came because they had not been wise with their finances. We must balance our time and resources so that we are ready when the tough times hit
Challenge & Application
1. What did God teach you today about the use of your time and resources?
2. How will you improve on being a better steward of your time each day and the use of the resources God has given you?
Don’t forget to pray using the A.C.T.S. (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication) method!