Topic: Dealing With Complaints [Thursday May 31, 2018]
Text: Nehemiah 5:1-13 (KJV)
Key Verse: “Then said they, We will restore them, and will require nothing of them; so will we do as thou sayest. Then I called the priests, and took an oath of them, that they should do according to this promise” (Nehemiah 5:12).
MESSAGE:
Nehemiah, the wise and faithful governor, while busy with rebuilding Jerusalem wall and fighting off attacks of the enemies abroad, was also confronted with complaints of the people. He was bold and active to redress grievances at home and keep the people from destroying one another.
In the verses under consideration, the poor brethren complained about the hardship the rich brethren had put them. They had had to mortgage their lands, vineyards and houses to buy food because of the famine. Some borrowed money to pay taxes; gave out their children into bondage as servants and were not in a position to redeem them. The situation was so pathetic that Nehemiah was very angry when he heard their cry and these words.
Nehemiah attended quickly to the complaints not minding the serious business of building the wall because he knew that no matter how thick the wall was built, dispute within the town would break the wall. He rebuked the nobles with wisdom by including himself as part of the problem. This made the nobles unable to defend themselves as he called them to deal with their brethren in the fear of the Lord and because of the reproach of the enemies.
Every human association is characterised by differences in ideas, interest, understanding, status and position. Association among people, particularly in the workplace, and the church is not spared as these demographic, cultural and intellectual diversities sometimes throw up disagreements, disputes or doctrinal misunderstanding. When these arise amongst believers, willing submission to godly efforts to contain the situation is key to bringing about a resolution of the dispute. It also makes believers yield to divinely ordained authority whose counsel and decisions should be final as long as it does not contradict God’s revealed word.
Thought For The Day: Godly counsel is useful to resolve disputes.
Daily Bible Reading: 1 Kings 3-4; 2 Chronicles 1; Psalm 72
DCLM Daily Manna was written by Pastor William Folorunso Kumuyi; is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Life Bible Church situated at KM 42 on the busy Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Nigeria.
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