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So the king asked me, “Why does your face look sad when you are not ill? This can be nothing but sadness of heart.” I was very much afraid, but I said to the king, “May the king live forever! Why should my face not look sad when the city where my fathers are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?” The king said to me, “What is it you want?” Then I prayed to the God of heaven, and I answered the king, “If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favor in his sight, let him send me to the city in Judah where my fathers are buried so that I can rebuild it.”

Nehemiah 2:2-5

“Sadness of heart.” That’s how King Artaxerxes described what he saw when his cupbearer Nehemiah approached him with a cup of wine and a countenance that was not full of cheer.

In Nehemiah’s response in the second chapter of this Old Testament book, we hear that his heart is indeed weighed down due to the destruction of the walls of Jerusalem. In fact, prior to his interaction with the king Nehemiah had petitioned the Lord after he heard about the Jewish remnant who were in “great trouble and disgrace” in the aftermath of Jerusalem’s fall. He tells us in Nehemiah 1:4:

When I heard these things, I sat down and wept.

Then Nehemiah presented his request to God:

“Remember the instruction you gave your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations, but if you return to me and obey my commands, then even if your exiled people are at the farthest horizon, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for my Name.’”

Nehemiah then asked the Lord to grant him favor when he went before King Artaxerxes to make this request:

“If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favor in his sight, let him send me to the city in Judah where my fathers are buried, so that I can rebuild it.”

We know in the verses following that Nehemiah was granted his request, and he went on to oversee the rebuilding of the wall around Jerusalem in just 52 days.

Today, the wall surrounding the Church is no different. It has also been broken down, and “its gates have been burned with fire.” We are the members who are “unfaithful” and have been scattered “among the nations.” We have each turned our own way and gone far, far astray.

So astray, in fact, that the impact of the Church is lessening. The saltiness of believers has lost its flavor. It’s virtually undetectable in our society. And the classification of “Christian” has pretty much been watered down to “I’m a good person.” Period.

But all is not lost. There is a remnant of believers. And God’s Kingdom is not and will not be destroyed, despite its ruined and rubbled walls that are mirrored in our hearts.

Perhaps, as a believer in Christ, your heart is burdened today by what you see around you. Maybe, like Nehemiah, you have “sadness of heart” and want to see God’s people come together and faithfully serve him once again as citizens of a Holy City instead of worshipping empty gods of a dying world.

“You see the trouble we are in,” Nehemiah said to the officials when he first inspected the walls. “Jerusalem lies in ruins . . . come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace.”

Will you help rebuild? Will you join with today’s Nehemiahs—the dedicated leaders God has raised up to rally and bring people together—and do the work that needs to be done to help restore unity and distinction and holiness that is called for in the body of Christ?

Prayerfully consider your response today. And may we all be moved to say, “Let us start rebuilding,” as we yield to God and his working through us to restore his Kingdom in our hearts and in our land.

Intersecting Faith & Life: 

Before the rebuilding process, Nehemiah carefully and quietly inspected Jerusalem’s walls. What represents weakness or “ruins” in your heart, making you vulnerable to sin? Ask the Master Builder to do a thorough inspection and fortify you for his glory!

Further Reading:

2 Chron. 7:14

Neh. 1:5-11

Psa. 122

Hand Me Another Brick by Charles R. Swindoll


**To listen to the audio/podcast version of this Crosswalk Devotional, please click here.

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For God is not a God whose ways are without order, but a God of peace; as in all the churches of the saints.

1 Corinthians 14:33, BBE

“Off the rails.” I don’t know how many times I’ve voiced this phrasing in recent weeks, let alone this year. But apparently it’s my new favorite saying.

Whether I’ve been referring to the media fire storm surrounding the explosive Trayvon Martin case with defendant George Zimmerman, who seems to have already been considered guilty until proven innocent by the court of public opinion . . .

Or the ongoing U.S. Secret Service scandal in which eleven S.S. members had to be sent home for heaving drinking and consorting with prostitutes during President Barack Obama’s spring trip to South America . . .

Or even in the church and an incident occurring earlier this year where a gimmick-prone prominent pastor/televangelist stayed in a bed with his wife on his church’s rooftop in order to “encourage” Christian couples to have “healthy sex lives” . . .

Whether I’ve been referring to any of these things, I have become well acquainted with assessing a troublesome situation, thinking that “right” has now changed places with “wrong” and seeing that someone or something has gone way “off the rails.”

Granted, our world has been “off the rails” since Adam and Eve went their own way in the Garden of Eden a long time ago. But these days, it seems to be happening more and more and it is sobering to see the world around us so quickly imploding.

As believers, we know that when we abandon the order of Scripture, we embrace the chaos of life. And nothing good ever comes from that. Just think back to times in your life when you were walking in a manner that could not be backed by Scripture.

Now that’s really every day for all of us—especially if we’re in touch with our depravity and our desperate need for a Savior.

But I am also reminded of a specific time period in my life that most vividly displays when I have been “off the rails.” And no good came out of that . . . at least at the time it didn’t. But years later, the Lord used what I thought were poor life choices as building blocks to bring me back closer to him. I learned that my chaos lead to confusion and destruction, while pursuing order leads to life and growth.

Perhaps the latter is why so much time is devoted to the “order” of the temple that Solomon built in Jerusalem. I’ve wondered about that as I’ve been studying in 2 Chronicles recently. Why did God include so much detail for us to read? What is he trying to show us by communicating the requirements for measurements, building materials, layout and personnel? And why did it take so long to complete?

But stepping back . . . isn’t this what is required of all Christ followers who are temples of the living God? Who must build our lives according to the instructions we see laid out for us in God’s Word? And shouldn’t we take on a project like “building a temple” with as much dedication and focus and enthusiasm and order as Solomon did in the Old Testament?

Even though the world is going “off the rails,” that doesn’t mean that you or I have to follow suit. A life lived in faithfulness and obedience to Scripture, a life with steps ordered by God through the power of Holy Spirit, a life built on the promises of God’s Word will not be sidetracked and will glorify God.

Intersecting Faith & Life: 

Many of the furnishings and the walls in Solomon’s temple were overlaid with gold. What in your life shimmers like this precious metal so that others can see God’s work reflected in you?

Further Reading:

Matt. 5:16

1 Cor. 3:16-17

Phil. 1:6

**To listen to the audio/podcast version of this Crosswalk Devotional, please click here.

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Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, “Weren’t there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?” They replied, “Certainly, O king.” He said, “Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.”

Daniel 3:24-25

In the past few years, I feel like I’ve really come into my own as an at-home cook. In fact, I’ve proved to myself that I can take the heat and stay in the kitchen!

But, as those of us culinary rangers know, getting your sauté on doesn’t come without a price: a little pain.

Recently, I remember the timer going off and needing to take something out of a hot oven when it was finished baking. So I got my two handy-dandy potholders and proceeded to pull out the top rack from the oven. But no sooner did I touch the rack than did searing pain shoot through my finger. For the love!!!

I looked down and saw that a small hole had worn through the potholder—exactly in the spot where my finger was gripping onto the hot rack. For days afterward I had a throbbing sensation. My finger was hot, and it blistered. I didn’t forget that experience, and every time I’ve reached for the oven rack since then, I always always double-check my potholder.

I guess life is a lot like these kitchen adventures as well. Some days everything just comes together: a little of this, a dash of that and voila! Everything has turned out just tasty and great. More please!

Then there are the days when you feel the heat and get burned. You have the best of intentions and feel like you’re trusting God and obeying his instructions for holy living. But then you try this or reach for that, and BAM. You find yourself in the fire. It’s hot. It hurts. And you’re pretty sure you don’t see Shadrach, Meshach or Abednego walking around with you, let alone the comforting presence of the Most High God in your midst.

I went through a particular painful trial like this recently, and I instinctively looked around and wondered where God was in all of it. Why was he letting this happen? Didn’t he know? Didn’t he care? Couldn’t he see how hard it was and how deeply wounded I now was as a result?

A few days later, thankfully, God gave me some much-needed perspective. From his Word (1 Peter 4:12-13), and also amazingly from someone I was interviewing for an article who wasn’t even talking about anything spiritual whatsoever, he spoke to me:

I am here. I see your pain. I know what you’re going through. When you are weak, I am strong. I will make something good out of all of this. You will learn and grow from this experience as you are being refined and becoming more and more like me.

I wept when I realized what God was saying to me. He wasn’t far away at all. I was the one who had shriveled up into a little ball and blocked out his Truth from my ears with my tears. And when I looked up, the Father was there with arms open wide, ready to lift my head, comfort my heart and give me peace.

While I still have an emotional scar from the heat of that trial, I also have the healing joy that results in growing closer to the Lord. And I’m pretty sure no baked goods’ comforting aroma will ever be able to compare.  

Intersecting Faith & Life:

When your life “heats up,” what do you do? Where do you turn? How do you cope? Think about the fiery trials you’ve experienced lately. How did you respond? Now, ask God to help you see him there—and how he is working in you—in their midst.

Further Reading:

Isa. 53:5

2 Cor. 4:8

James 1:2

“Beautiful”
Words & Music: MercyMe

You’re beautiful; You’re beautiful
You were made for so much more than all of this
You’re beautiful, you’re beautiful
You are treasured, you are sacred, you are his


**To listen to the audio/podcast version of this Crosswalk Devotional, please click here.
 

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Now don’t get excited.

I’m not here to blog about man’s evolution, how chimpanzees are said to be the closest living relatives to humans, the threat of climate change or anything like that.

What I’m here to tell you is that Disneynature’s newest nature film, Chimpanzee, is surprisingly good.

How so? What’s so surprising about a “family” of 35 chimps living together deep in the jungle of Africa’s Ivory Coast? And what could possibly amaze us in 76 minutes of the wildlife documentary’s run time?

How about the portrayal of a strong male figure like you haven’t seen on the big screen in a long, long time!

That’s right. But in this case, it’s not a human. It’s a big, burly chimp named Freddy.

As the alpha male of his pack, Freddy is large and in charge as he was created to be. He’s there to grow his brood and also keep an eye out for rival chimp gangs that are trying to invade his territory.

He’s a natural leader. He’s worked his way to the top. And he’s got his priorities. But as the film unfolds, an adorable little chimp named Oscar will change all of that, causing Freddy to “man up,” humble himself and do the right thing.

Chimpanzee releases wide today in theaters nationwide and is rated G by the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA). I invite you to read the full review of this delightful nature film here or check out my interview here to learn more about what happens in Chimpanzee . . . and what humans can learn from the example of a “guy” like Freddy.