Learning From NehemiahSample

Strength in Numbers

There is strength in numbers.

It’s as true in the Christian life as it is on the battlefield.

Companions allow us to encourage and comfort. They give us the strength of support and camaraderie. None of us, introverts or extroverts, are actually made to exist in isolation.

When God created our first ancestors, a lone human was not good enough (Genesis 2:18). We need one another, especially to accomplish what God sets before us to do.

In the closing chapters of the Book of Nehemiah, we see the significance of community.

It was not, and would never be, enough for Nehemiah alone to devote himself to God, though he certainly needed to do that. The people of God, as a people, needed to commit themselves to their identity.

As the account of Nehemiah comes to a close, we are given a glimpse into a hopeful future for the nation of Israel as together they bind themselves to being the people of God. Common calling, common purpose, common practice. They would follow the ways and laws of the LORD together. There is strength and accountability in numbers and community.

Men, it’s easy and often tempting to be a lone ranger. To assume or envision that the path to true manhood is to walk in the isolation of self-sufficiency.

But that is not God’s design.

The pitfalls of life alone are myriad. It can lead us to places of pride where we forget others and God. Only in committing ourselves to others and God do we find the strength to move forward successfully.

Like Nehemiah, let’s be men who are not just strong alone, but strong with and for one another in the community of God.

Prayer: Father, forgive me for the pride that drives me toward self-sufficiency. Give me the courage and compassion that values others as You value them, so that we may pursue You together. Amen.

Reflection: How do you walk in community with other believers? How can you spur others on to follow God?

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