“Then my God put it into my heart to assemble the nobles and the officials and the people to be enrolled by genealogy. And I found the book of the genealogy of those who came up at the first, and I found written in it:
“These were the people of the province who came up out of the captivity of those exiles whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried into exile. They returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his town. They came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, Baanah.
“The number of the men of the people of Israel: the sons of Parosh, 2,172. The sons of Shephatiah, 372. The sons of Arah, 652. The sons of Pahath-moab, namely the sons of Jeshua and Joab, 2,818. The sons of Elam, 1,254. The sons of Zattu, 845. The sons of Zaccai, 760. The sons of Binnui, 648. The sons of Bebai, 628. The sons of Azgad, 2,322. The sons of Adonikam, 667. The sons of Bigvai, 2,067. The sons of Adin, 655. The sons of Ater, namely of Hezekiah, 98.” Nehemiah 7:5-21
Nehemiah was a high capacity leader who tended to details both spiritual and practical. Persevering, with prayer, through antagonism and tempted discouragement, he finished rebuilding Jerusalem’s wall and set the gates and guards in place. But projects did not preempt people, and the returning exiles the Lord brought back were to be counted and named. (2 Timothy 2:19)
God of the nations is also God of individuals. He sets His love on us, calling us by name to save us from spiritual exile and slavery to sin. He delivers us from strange affections and false gods. He redeems us from shame behind which we want to hide. He restores our souls. (Isaiah 43:1)
Yet, we can fall into Satan’s trap of deeming ourselves unworthy, unloved, unredeemable. The distance we’ve kept in our heart seems a chasm too great to bridge. We feel isolated, stained, and constantly put ourselves down. When we fail to recognize the love of Christ and to esteem the price He paid to save us, we dishonor His grace.
Do we fall into a drear of being insignificant or unknown? Do we wonder how we can make a difference? We must choose to live in the truth that if we are saved, the Lord God not only knows us by name, but delights in us and involves Himself in sanctifying us day by day. He is intimately interested in all that concerns us, and actively conforms us to His glorious design. Would we take hope in this impetus for joy? Can we delight in our Savior as He does in us? Will we thank Him for his knowledge of everything about us that combines with unconditional love and lavish grace? (Psalm 138:8; Zephaniah 3:17)
And who else has He called to Himself that we could make feel significant? How can we invest ourselves in the lives and stories of others God has put in our path? How might we- with a word, a smile, an hour- bless, encourage, and affirm another of eternal value whom God has named?
Lord, may I bear and value Your name above all, and so love others that they know and honor You. (Psalm 138:2)
As the rain and snow 