Nehemiah 11: Choosing Where to Live and Work
WHEN MY FRIEND Ken is deciding where to live and work, he bases the decision on where he feels God wants him to develop a ministry and be of help in the building up of the body of Christ. Certainly people with the world's values do not choose a place to live and work on that basis. But as a Christian, the more I think about it, the more it makes sense. Not just my money belongs to the Lord, but my profession and my gifts belong to him so they can be used in the body of Christ. God would surely know better than I where I should live and work so that I would fit his plans for the building of his kingdom! Only God can balance all the variables in a way that works best for his purposes.
Warming Up to God
What rests heavy on your heart today? Draw near to Jesus, who is waiting to put his arms around you as you tell him of your concerns. Let him listen to all your anxieties and allow them to become his worries for you.
Read Nehemiah 11. »
Discovering the Word
- How did the Jews in chapter 11 decide who would live in Jerusalem?
- Why do you think the people did not want to live in Jerusalem (v. 2)?
- What reasons can you think of for these five groups of people to live in Jerusalem (v. 3)?
- How (from chapter 10) would all of these people be taken care of materially?
- How was Nehemiah making the city ready for the people?
Applying the Word
- What factors do you consider in determining where you should live? (Consider occupation, salary, school, church, ministry, family and so on.)
- Since our barter system is money, in what ways does our lifestyle free us up to be more involved in kingdom building?
- As you read this passage, what personal decisions (past or future) about where you live and how that impacts your service to God come to mind?
Responding in Prayer
Ask the Lord to help you live in obedience—your hardest daily decision no matter where God leads you.
For Further Study
Decisions by J. I. Packer