LOOK OUT FOR ONE ANOTHER NEHEMIAH 5

Times are hard. Housing prices are at an all-time high. Groceries are inflated. When you go to the checkout counter, you see the bill and you need medical attention to pay it.

So many people in our economy are going into debt to pay their bills. It’s one thing when you are living above your means with frivolous pursuits and entertainment. When you are wasteful, it’s your own fault that you are in the trouble you are in. However, when you are being financially responsible and doing everything you can to make ends meet and stretch a dollar, it can be demoralizing and cause people to want to curse God.

What makes it even worse is when brothers and sisters in Christ take advantage of one another. It is an oxymoron for a Christian to do something like this.

That’s the situation we find in Nehemiah 5. The wall was constructed in 50 days. During that time the men were in the city and building the walls. They were sleeping in the city because of the enemy from without, but now an enemy from within had arisen. Because the men had not been home to work their fields and because of a few other extenuating circumstances, their families were in trouble and so was the unity of the community of God.