I gave command over Jerusalem to my brother Hanani, and Hananiah the commander of the citadel. For he was a faithful man and feared God more than many.
– Nehemiah 7:2
I read that description at the end of that verse, and my heart just says, “I want that to be true of me.” And I trust your heart says the same thing. When you hear a description of someone, and says, “He was a faithful man and he feared God more than many.” I pray in my own life, I pray that for us today.
We should want it to be said of us that we were faithful in all avenues of life, living in the fear of God.
Nehemiah 7:2 Invites Us to Remain Faithful in Our lives
God may that be said of me, of us. May it be said that we were faithful. That we were faithful to you, and we walked in faithful to you. That we followed you faithfully. May it be said that we were faithful in marriage. God may be said i was a faithful husband. I pray that for other husbands who are listening to this. I pray for wives that are listening to this. May it be said that they are faithful wives.
That they would be faithful dads and moms, faithful children, and faithful singles. Faithful to use and maximize singleness for the spread of the gospel. As we see in I Corinthians chapter seven. We said that we are faithful sons and daughters. So in our families, help us to be faithful. In our work, help us to be faithful, to do our work well, and wisely, in a way that honors you with integrity. Help us to be faithful church members.
Nehemiah 7:2 Tells Us to be Faithful to the Community Around Us
Help us be faithful to the community of faith around us. May people look at us, say, “Yes, they’re faithful.” And may it be said that we feared you, oh God. That we had a fear of you. That we walked in humility before you. We were a humble men and women, children, that we had an awe of you that permeated everything we did. That we didn’t treat life lightly. Because we didn’t treat you lightly. And we knew all of life is for your glory.
So God we pray that we said that we feared you. And in all this, even by a world that doesn’t know your roundness. May it be said of us that we were faithful. We were faithful to share the gospel. Even when it wasn’t popular. That we were faithful to live as salt and light in the world around us, in a way that brings glory to God. May it be said, it was obvious to people, even who didn’t believe in God, that we feared God.
May This Be the Commentary of Our Life
God may this be the commentary of our life. I know that can only be true by your grace in my life. So I pray for your grace in my life today, for your grace in other’s lives today, to cause us. May it be said of us, oh God, that we were faithful
David Platt serves as a pastor in metro Washington, D.C. He is the founder of Radical.
David received his Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and is the author of Don’t Hold Back, Radical, Follow Me, Counter Culture, Something Needs to Change, Before You Vote, as well as the multiple volumes of the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary series.
Along with his wife and children, he lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area.
