The phrase “for they were considered faithful” should catch our attention. Being trustworthy or faithful is a character trait that God is constantly working to develop more of in His children. The men Nehemiah appointed over the storehouses came from 4 different occupations, but they all shared the same important attribute: faithfulness. They were dependable and responsible.<\/p>\n
The apostle Paul instructed Timothy to look for this same important trait in the people he was training: “And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful<\/em> men who will be able to teach others also” (2 Tim. 2:2, italics added). We note that Timothy wasn\u2019t told to look for the most ingenious men, the best orators, or even those with natural leadership abilities. Paul doesn\u2019t even tell Timothy to look for those with the most spiritual gifts. Instead he focuses on those who are already faithful; those who, after Timothy was gone, could be trusted to teach others the same truths they had been taught. Every believer, deep down in their heart, looks forward to hearing the words Jesus said 2000 years ago in a parable:<\/p>\n Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord. (Matt. 25:23)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Missionary writer Oswald Chambers said it this way: “God has not called us to success but to faithfulness.”<\/p>\n “LORD, please help us to be a people who are faithful, walking the walk, not just talking the talk, in Jesus\u2019 name.”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n =============================================================<\/p>\n\n\n\n Nehemiah 13 KJV<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1<\/sup>\u00a0On that day they read in the book of Moses in the audience of the people; and therein was found written, that the Ammonite and the Moabite should not come into the congregation of God for ever;\u00a0\u00a0\u00a02<\/sup>\u00a0Because they met not the children of Israel with bread and with water, but hired Balaam against them, that he should curse them: howbeit our God turned the curse into a blessing.\u00a03<\/sup>\u00a0Now it came to pass, when they had heard the law, that they separated from Israel all the mixed multitude. 4<\/sup>\u00a0And before this, Eliashib the priest, having the oversight of the chamber of the house of our God,\u00a0was\u00a0<\/em>allied unto Tobiah:\u00a0\u00a05<\/sup>\u00a0And he had prepared for him a great chamber, where aforetime they laid the meat offerings, the frankincense, and the vessels, and the tithes of the corn, the new wine, and the oil, which was commanded\u00a0to be given\u00a0<\/em>to the Levites, and the singers, and the porters; and the offerings of the priests.\u00a0\u00a06<\/sup>\u00a0But in all this\u00a0time\u00a0<\/em>was not I at Jerusalem: for in the two and thirtieth year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon came I unto the king, and after certain days obtained I leave of the king:\u00a0\u00a0\u00a07<\/sup>\u00a0And I came to Jerusalem, and understood of the evil that Eliashib did for Tobiah, in preparing him a chamber in the courts of the house of God.\u00a08<\/sup>\u00a0And it grieved me sore: therefore I cast forth all the household stuff of Tobiah out of the chamber.\u00a09<\/sup>\u00a0Then I commanded, and they cleansed the chambers: and thither brought I again the vessels of the house of God, with the meat offering and the frankincense. 10<\/sup> And I perceived that the portions of the Levites had not been given\u00a0them:\u00a0<\/em>for the Levites and the singers, that did the work, were fled every one to his field.\u00a011<\/sup>Then contended I with the rulers, and said, Why is the house of God forsaken? And I gathered them together, and set them in their place.\u00a0\u00a012<\/sup>\u00a0Then brought all Judah the tithe of the corn and the new wine and the oil unto the treasuries.\u00a0\u00a013<\/sup>\u00a0And I made treasurers over the treasuries, Shelemiah the priest, and Zadok the scribe, and of the Levites, Pedaiah: and next to them\u00a0was\u00a0<\/em>Hanan the son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah: for they were counted faithful, and their office\u00a0was\u00a0<\/em>to distribute unto their brethren.\u00a0\u00a014<\/sup>\u00a0Remember me, O my God, concerning this, and wipe not out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God, and for the offices thereof.\u00a0\u00a015<\/sup> In those days saw I in Judah\u00a0some\u00a0<\/em>treading wine presses on the sabbath, and bringing in sheaves, and lading asses; as also wine, grapes, and figs, and all\u00a0manner of\u00a0<\/em>burdens, which they brought into Jerusalem on the sabbath day: and I testified\u00a0against them\u00a0<\/em>in the day wherein they sold victuals.\u00a016<\/sup>\u00a0There dwelt men of Tyre also therein, which brought fish, and all manner of ware, and sold on the sabbath unto the children of Judah, and in Jerusalem.\u00a017<\/sup>\u00a0Then I contended with the nobles of Judah, and said unto them, What evil thing\u00a0is\u00a0<\/em>this that ye do, and profane the sabbath day?\u00a018<\/sup>\u00a0Did not your fathers thus, and did not our God bring all this evil upon us, and upon this city? yet ye bring more wrath upon Israel by profaning the sabbath.\u00a019<\/sup>\u00a0And it came to pass, that when the gates of Jerusalem began to be dark before the sabbath, I commanded that the gates should be shut, and charged that they should not be opened till after the sabbath: and\u00a0some\u00a0<\/em>of my servants set I at the gates,\u00a0that\u00a0<\/em>there should no burden be brought in on the sabbath day.\u00a020<\/sup>\u00a0So the merchants and sellers of all kind of ware lodged without Jerusalem once or twice.\u00a021<\/sup> Then I testified against them, and said unto them, Why lodge ye about the wall? if ye do\u00a0so\u00a0<\/em>again, I will lay hands on you. From that time forth came they no\u00a0more\u00a0<\/em>on the sabbath.\u00a0\u00a022<\/sup>\u00a0And I commanded the Levites that they should cleanse themselves, and\u00a0that\u00a0<\/em>they should come\u00a0and\u00a0<\/em>keep the gates, to sanctify the sabbath day. Remember me, O my God,\u00a0concerning\u00a0<\/em>this also, and spare me according to the greatness of thy mercy.\u00a0 23<\/sup>\u00a0In those days also saw I Jews\u00a0that\u00a0<\/em>had married wives of Ashdod, of Ammon,\u00a0and\u00a0<\/em>of Moab:\u00a0\u00a024<\/sup>\u00a0And their children spake half in the speech of Ashdod, and could not speak in the Jews\u2019 language, but according to the language of each people.\u00a0\u00a025<\/sup>\u00a0And I contended with them, and cursed them, and smote certain of them, and plucked off their hair, and made them swear by God,\u00a0saying\u00a0<\/em>, Ye shall not give your daughters unto their sons, nor take their daughters unto your sons, or for yourselves.\u00a0\u00a026<\/sup>\u00a0Did not Solomon king of Israel sin by these things? yet among many nations was there no king like him, who was beloved of his God, and God made him king over all Israel: nevertheless even him did outlandish women cause to sin.\u00a027<\/sup>Shall we then hearken unto you to do all this great evil, to transgress against our God in marrying strange wives?\u00a028<\/sup>\u00a0And\u00a0one\u00a0<\/em>of the sons of Joiada, the son of Eliashib the high priest,\u00a0was\u00a0<\/em>son in law to Sanballat the Horonite: therefore I chased him from me.\u00a029<\/sup>\u00a0Remember them, O my God, because they have defiled the priesthood, and the covenant of the priesthood, and of the Levites.\u00a0\u00a030<\/sup>\u00a0Thus cleansed I them from all strangers, and appointed the wards of the priests and the Levites, every one in his business;\u00a031<\/sup>\u00a0And for the wood offering, at times appointed, and for the firstfruits. Remember me, O my God, for good.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The phrase “for they were considered faithful” should catch our attention. Being trustworthy or faithful is a character trait that God is constantly working to develop more of in His children. The men Nehemiah appointed over the storehouses came from 4 different occupations, but they all shared the same important attribute: faithfulness. They were dependable […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_s2mail":"yes","footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/packinghouseredlands.org\/devotional\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7421"}],"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=7421"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/packinghouseredlands.org\/devotional\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7421\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16418,"href":"https:\/\/packinghouseredlands.org\/devotional\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7421\/revisions\/16418"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/packinghouseredlands.org\/devotional\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7421"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/packinghouseredlands.org\/devotional\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7421"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/packinghouseredlands.org\/devotional\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7421"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}