Righteous Reconciliation | Nehemiah 5:9-12

I took counsel with myself, and I brought charges against the nobles and the officials. I said to them, “You are exacting interest, each from his brother.” And I held a great assembly against them and said to them, “We, as far as we are able, have bought back our Jewish brothers who have been sold to the nations, but you even sell your brothers that they may be sold to us!” They were silent and could not find a word to say. — Nehemiah 5:7-8 CALL OUT: Steve Noonan and the whole staff team at Dekalb Mechanical in Wisconsin. Thank you for all the support over the years, and many blessings to your team and business in this new year. So today, we encounter one of the more challenging tasks of leadership—confronting injustice done by your own people and doing it in a way that stands against the injustice but persuades them to repent and reconcile. This is never an easy task. But Nehemiah had the ultimate captive audience. Fears of an enemy strike surrounded them, and all the people were confined within the city's walls. So Nehemiah gathered the people and publicly called out the corruption. This was obviously embarrassing because they were silent about the indictment. Nehemiah's ultimate indictment against the wealthy Jewish elite is: Why are you doing to our own people what enemy nations have done to us? This is the problem with the progressive and oppressive nature of sin. Eventually, one compromise and one justification after another, we will do what others have done to us. We start to emulate the enemy until we become the enemy. Thus, occasionally, we need an outsider to point out the egregious nature of our actions. While no one likes the experience, which can be embarrassing, we all need it, including me. I have experienced the embarrassment of this plenty of times. But this process can be beautiful, yet it requires three things. First, a righteous man who can call out the injustice correctly. Second, a recipient who will genuinely receive and graciously reconcile the injustice. Third, a standard of righteousness that can only be declared by God. When all three come together, incredible things take place. If this happened more often, think about how many relationships would be restored and how many injustices would be rectified. If we embraced this process, it would change marriages, families, and churches forever. So be a part of the process. Stop making compromises. Get to know God's standards and embrace them. Be more willing to be accountable to his standards of righteous behavior and integrity. Then, one day, when God calls, stand up against injustice and be an agent of change in your marriage, family, and church. And maybe one day God will use you to the extent he did with Nehemiah. ASK THIS: Reflect on a time when you witnessed or experienced an injustice within your own community or group. How did you respond, and how might Nehemiah's approach inspire you to act differently in the future? Consider the three requirements Nehemiah demonstrates for addressing injustice: a righteous individual to call it out, a willing recipient to acknowledge and reconcile it, and a divine standard of righteousness. How can we cultivate these elements in our lives and small groups to effectively confront and resolve injustices? DO THIS: Be a part of the process and then lead the process. PRAY THIS: Lord, grant me the courage and wisdom of Nehemiah to confront injustices with righteousness and grace. Help me to uphold Your standards in all my actions, leading me to reconcile and restore relationships in Your name. Amen. PLAY THIS: Reconciliation Song. 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