Nehemiah 5 & 6:

• Nehemiah was given extraordinary wisdom, boldness, and courage. He upsets an economic system that kept people in slavery and poverty; invoking justice, reconciliation, and redemption of property. (5:1-13) It seems, in my day that wealth and prosperity have become a sacred cow that cannot be upset by ideals of moral and ethical integrity. If the LORD were to call me to this kind of confrontation, I don’t know if I could find the courage to obey. If I did, it would certainly be with wobbly knees!
• I couldn’t help but think that the physical threats (6:2b) and the slanderous attempts to discredit Nehemiah (6:13) were related at least in part to his disrupting of their oppressive economic system. (5:6-9) Nehemiah was an astonishingly brave man!

LORD, give me the courage and love to stand on the right things, no matter the cost!