A Glorifying Moment in 52 Days | Nehemiah 6:15-16

So the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty-two days. And when all our enemies heard of it, all the nations around us were afraid and fell greatly in their own esteem, for they perceived that this work had been accomplished with the help of our God. — Nehemiah 6:15-16 CALL OUT: A special thanks to Jared Gatti, a faithful listener from Prinsburg, MN, for your support. The wall was completed in an astonishingly short time – just 52 days. This timeframe is remarkably brief for mobilizing such a large number of people for a project of this magnitude. What I particularly appreciate is the detail in verse 16. The enemies, who had earlier claimed that Nehemiah was attempting to crown himself king, came to recognize the sovereignty of the real King – God. The task of rebuilding the wall seemed so implausible to them that they could only attribute its success to divine assistance. It was so awe-inspiring that they began to question their own beliefs. This is the type of influence every believer and faith-driven leader should aspire to have on those around us. It's the impact I strive to have on you. I aim to be a man deeply connected to God, wholly immersed in His Word, a man of exceptional character. A man whose influence is so profound that your attention is drawn not to me but to the God who guides me. Here's how we get there: by living a mission-centered life, tirelessly laying brick upon brick in our spiritual journey. We persevere through ridicule, threats, and discouragement, all the while aiming to glorify God. Then, at that pivotal moment when God accomplishes something magnificent, we immediately attribute all glory to him. Glory to God for revealing his mission. Glory to God for providing resources. Glory to God for bestowing us with gifts. Glory to God for uniting his people, each with unique gifts. Glory to God for protecting us from our adversaries. And when his glory is manifested, we must resist the temptation to claim any of it for ourselves so that God's name is glorified. So, let's start practicing this today. Openly give glory to God for something He has done or is doing through you. Or when you are about to take glory for something you have done, deflect glory to God even if it feels cliche. Then, continue to do this until others begin to perceive the truth you have been proclaiming. ASK THIS: How can we identify and overcome the modern-day 'mockery, threats, and discouragement' that challenge our faith, similar to what Nehemiah faced? Reflect on personal experiences where you felt your faith was being tested and discuss how you can use these experiences to strengthen your trust in God’s plan. In what ways can we, as individuals and as a group, actively give glory to God in our daily lives, particularly in moments of success and achievement? Consider sharing instances where you may have missed the opportunity to glorify God and discuss strategies for ensuring God remains at the forefront of our victories and accomplishments. DO THIS: Give glory to God when you want to steal glory for yourself. PRAY THIS: Father, grant me the strength and wisdom to build my life in alignment with Your divine purpose and to always recognize and proclaim Your guiding hand in every success and challenge I face. Help me to glorify You in all I do so that others may see Your love and power through my actions and words. Amen. PLAY THIS: Praise. Check out other all Vince Miller's videos and audios for small groups at: https://beresolute.org/ Get Vince's most widely read resources The Daily Devotional at: https://beresolute.org/mdd Check out more ALL IN products like the one Vince is wearing at: https://beresolute.org/product-category/all-in-hats/ ____________________________________________________________________________________ Connect with Vince socially: FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/millervince INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/vinceleemiller LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vincemiller TWITTER: https://twitter.com/vinceleemiller