The wall and gates around Jerusalem were finished, the people had made a public declaration to follow God, and now they began the process of repopulating the city, casting lots to determine who would inhabit it. The peoples’ names were probably written on something like a pottery shard, put in a jar, and then, one by one, pulled out and numbered. The intent was to choose 10% of the families to relocate to the old city. This would require those selected to leave the familiar and move somewhere they might not have chosen for themselves. Those from the countryside may even have had to leave behind family and friends.<\/p>\n
What if God asked you (and you knew it was God) to go somewhere you wouldn’t necessarily choose to go yourself; would you be willing to leave the familiar? Like the song Home Sweet Home <\/em>says, “Be it ever so humble, there’s no place like home.” For most of us the idea of leaving our home (city, state, nation) for God is huge and would take a very big step of faith. Father Abraham is an excellent Old Testament example of being willing to leave the familiar in order to obey God. Jesus spoke to His disciples about leaving everything:<\/p>\n Then Peter began to say to Him, “See, we have left all and followed you!\u201d<\/p>\n So Jesus answered and said, \u201cAssuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel’s, who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time\u2014houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions\u2014and in the age to come, eternal life.” (Mark 10:28\u201330)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n We have to trust God, trust that He wouldn\u2019t lead us away from home unless He had something better planned for us.<\/p>\n “LORD, give us the grace and courage to follow You this day, wherever You lead.”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n =============================================================<\/p>\n\n\n\n Nehemiah 11 KJV<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1<\/sup>\u00a0And the rulers of the people dwelt at Jerusalem: the rest of the people also cast lots, to bring one of ten to dwell in Jerusalem the holy city, and nine parts\u00a0to dwell\u00a0<\/em>in\u00a0other\u00a0<\/em>cities.\u00a02<\/sup>\u00a0And the people blessed all the men, that willingly offered themselves to dwell at Jerusalem. 3<\/sup>\u00a0Now these\u00a0are\u00a0<\/em>the chief of the province that dwelt in Jerusalem: but in the cities of Judah dwelt every one in his possession in their cities,\u00a0to wit\u00a0<\/em>, Israel, the priests, and the Levites, and the Nethinims, and the children of Solomon\u2019s servants.\u00a04<\/sup>\u00a0And at Jerusalem dwelt\u00a0certain\u00a0<\/em>of the children of Judah, and of the children of Benjamin. Of the children of Judah; Athaiah the son of Uzziah, the son of Zechariah, the son of Amariah, the son of Shephatiah, the son of Mahalaleel, of the children of Perez;\u00a0\u00a05<\/sup>\u00a0And Maaseiah the son of Baruch, the son of Col-hozeh, the son of Hazaiah, the son of Adaiah, the son of Joiarib, the son of Zechariah, the son of Shiloni.\u00a06<\/sup>\u00a0All the sons of Perez that dwelt at Jerusalem\u00a0were\u00a0<\/em>four hundred threescore and eight valiant men.\u00a07<\/sup>\u00a0And these\u00a0are\u00a0<\/em>the sons of Benjamin; Sallu the son of Meshullam, the son of Joed, the son of Pedaiah, the son of Kolaiah, the son of Maaseiah, the son of Ithiel, the son of Jesaiah.\u00a08<\/sup>\u00a0And after him Gabbai, Sallai, nine hundred twenty and eight.\u00a09<\/sup>\u00a0And Joel the son of Zichri\u00a0was\u00a0<\/em>their overseer: and Judah the son of Senuah\u00a0was\u00a0<\/em>second over the city.\u00a010<\/sup>\u00a0Of the priests: Jedaiah the son of Joiarib, Jachin.\u00a011<\/sup>\u00a0Seraiah the son of Hilkiah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Zadok, the son of Meraioth, the son of Ahitub,\u00a0was\u00a0<\/em>the ruler of the house of God.\u00a012<\/sup>\u00a0And their brethren that did the work of the house\u00a0were\u00a0<\/em>eight hundred twenty and two: and Adaiah the son of Jeroham, the son of Pelaliah, the son of Amzi, the son of Zechariah, the son of Pashur, the son of Malchiah,\u00a013<\/sup>\u00a0And his brethren, chief of the fathers, two hundred forty and two: and Amashai the son of Azareel, the son of Ahasai, the son of Meshillemoth, the son of Immer,\u00a014<\/sup>\u00a0And their brethren, mighty men of valour, an hundred twenty and eight: and their overseer\u00a0was\u00a0<\/em>Zabdiel, the son of\u00a0one of\u00a0<\/em>the great men.\u00a0\u00a015<\/sup>\u00a0Also of the Levites: Shemaiah the son of Hashub, the son of Azrikam, the son of Hashabiah, the son of Bunni;\u00a016<\/sup>\u00a0And Shabbethai and Jozabad, of the chief of the Levites,\u00a0had\u00a0<\/em>the oversight of the outward business of the house of God.\u00a0\u00a017<\/sup>\u00a0And Mattaniah the son of Micha, the son of Zabdi, the son of Asaph,\u00a0was\u00a0<\/em>the principal to begin the thanksgiving in prayer: and Bakbukiah the second among his brethren, and Abda the son of Shammua, the son of Galal, the son of Jeduthun.\u00a018<\/sup>\u00a0All the Levites in the holy city\u00a0were\u00a0<\/em>two hundred fourscore and four.\u00a019<\/sup> Moreover the porters, Akkub, Talmon, and their brethren that kept the gates,\u00a0were<\/em>an hundred seventy and two.\u00a020<\/sup>\u00a0And the residue of Israel, of the priests,\u00a0and\u00a0<\/em>the Levites,\u00a0were\u00a0<\/em>in all the cities of Judah, every one in his inheritance.\u00a021<\/sup>\u00a0But the Nethinims dwelt in Ophel: and Ziha and Gispa\u00a0were\u00a0<\/em>over the Nethinims.\u00a0\u00a022<\/sup>\u00a0The overseer also of the Levites at Jerusalem\u00a0was\u00a0<\/em>Uzzi the son of Bani, the son of Hashabiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Micha. Of the sons of Asaph, the singers\u00a0were\u00a0<\/em>over the business of the house of God.\u00a023<\/sup>\u00a0For\u00a0it was\u00a0<\/em>the king\u2019s commandment concerning them, that a certain portion should be for the singers, due for every day.\u00a0\u00a024<\/sup>\u00a0And Pethahiah the son of Meshezabeel, of the children of Zerah the son of Judah,\u00a0was\u00a0<\/em>at the king\u2019s hand in all matters concerning the people.\u00a0\u00a025<\/sup>\u00a0And for the villages, with their fields,\u00a0some\u00a0<\/em>of the children of Judah dwelt at Kirjath-arba, and\u00a0in\u00a0<\/em>the villages thereof, and at Dibon, and\u00a0in\u00a0<\/em>the villages thereof, and at Jekabzeel, and\u00a0in\u00a0<\/em>the villages thereof,\u00a026<\/sup>\u00a0And at Jeshua, and at Moladah, and at Beth-phelet,\u00a027<\/sup>\u00a0And at Hazar-shual, and at Beer-sheba, and\u00a0in\u00a0<\/em>the villages thereof,\u00a028<\/sup>\u00a0And at Ziklag, and at Mekonah, and in the villages thereof,\u00a029<\/sup>\u00a0And at En-rimmon, and at Zareah, and at Jarmuth,\u00a030<\/sup>\u00a0Zanoah, Adullam, and\u00a0in\u00a0<\/em>their villages, at Lachish, and the fields thereof, at Azekah, and\u00a0in<\/em>the villages thereof. And they dwelt from Beer-sheba unto the valley of Hinnom.\u00a031<\/sup>The children also of Benjamin from Geba\u00a0dwelt\u00a0<\/em>at Michmash, and Aija, and Beth-el, and\u00a0in\u00a0<\/em>their villages,\u00a0\u00a0\u00a032<\/sup>\u00a0And\u00a0<\/em>at Anathoth, Nob, Ananiah,\u00a033<\/sup>\u00a0Hazor, Ramah, Gittaim,\u00a034<\/sup>\u00a0Hadid, Zeboim, Neballat,\u00a035<\/sup>\u00a0Lod, and Ono, the valley of craftsmen.\u00a036<\/sup>\u00a0And of the Levites\u00a0were\u00a0<\/em>divisions\u00a0in\u00a0<\/em>Judah,\u00a0and\u00a0<\/em>in Benjamin.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The wall and gates around Jerusalem were finished, the people had made a public declaration to follow God, and now they began the process of repopulating the city, casting lots to determine who would inhabit it. The peoples’ names were probably written on something like a pottery shard, put in a jar, and then, one […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/packinghouseredlands.org\/devotional\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7413"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/packinghouseredlands.org\/devotional\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/packinghouseredlands.org\/devotional\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/packinghouseredlands.org\/devotional\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/packinghouseredlands.org\/devotional\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=7413"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/packinghouseredlands.org\/devotional\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7413\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16415,"href":"https:\/\/packinghouseredlands.org\/devotional\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7413\/revisions\/16415"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/packinghouseredlands.org\/devotional\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7413"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/packinghouseredlands.org\/devotional\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7413"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/packinghouseredlands.org\/devotional\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7413"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}