Fifty-Two Days in Nehemiah (Day 27)

Day 27

The city was wide and large, but the people within it were few, and no houses had been rebuilt.

Nehemiah 7:4

In order to get where you want to go, you have to acknowledge where you are. This truth applies whether you are talking about a literal journey, a spiritual journey, or accomplishing some goal you have set for yourself. An honest self-assessment can be of great benefit in order to set the course for your future.

Nehemiah has accomplished more in fifty-two days than most will accomplish in a lifetime. He has built a wall to secure the city of Jerusalem, he has addressed and solved a number of social problems, and he has caused the people of God to believe again. However, Nehemiah is not living under the delusion that everything is perfect. He recognizes that there is still work to do. To this point, there are not a lot of people living in Jerusalem nor have the houses in the city been rebuilt.

In looking at Nehemiah 7, we discover that Nehemiah took a census to see exactly who was in the city. Not only was he looking for a head count, he also was examining how many priests, how many Levites, and how many temple servants he had. Basically, Nehemiah is assessing how the city is going to function.

It is never any easy thing to be honest with ourselves. It is hard to acknowledge our weaknesses and short-comings. It is difficult to look at different aspects of our lives, our homes, our churches, or even our society and to determine what is wrong and what needs fixed. It is even more difficult to admit where we have contributed to these problems.

Take time today to do an honest assessment. Where are you weak? Where do you need to grow? Where do you need to make changes? Are you doing what God would have you do? Make the changes needed to be who God has called you to be.