“So I prayed to the God of heaven.” (Nehemiah 2:4) When Nehemiah prayed this prayer, it was as he stood before the king of Persia.  It is doubtful that he had time to step aside and head to his inner room for a lengthy petition with the Almighty.  This prayer would have been short,

“But now for a brief moment, grace has been shown from the LORD our God, to leave us an escaped remnant…” (Ezra 9:8a) Grace isn’t just a gift; it’s an opportunity.  Ezra recognized that God’s grace had brought the people back into the land and that grace had opened a window of opportunity that

“Even a fool, when he keeps silent, is considered wise; when he closes his lips, he is considered prudent.” (Proverbs 17:28) If you don’t have anything wise to say, just fake it by saying nothing.  After all, that’s what the wise people do. “He who gives an answer before he hears, it is folly

“The beginning of strife is like letting out water, so abandon the quarrel before it breaks out.” (Proverbs 17:14) A crack in a dam seems like a small thing until it widens enough to flood the town.  A husband and wife don’t think their little quarrels are a big deal until their children grow

“For in the eighth year of his [Josiah’s] reign while he was still a youth, he began to seek the God of his father David” (2 Chronicles 34:3) You are never too young to seek God.  Josiah started young and gave his best years to God and left a legacy behind worth having. Teach

“…the old men who had seen the first temple, wept with a loud voice when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, while many shouted aloud for joy, so that the people could not distinguish the sound of the shout of joy from the sound of the weeping of the people,