It’s remarkable how God used Joseph, even when he wasn’t trained for the jobs God gave him. With all that we’ve learned, how can God use us?

The Joseph story reminds me that sometimes I need to look at my difficult situation through a wider lens.

It’s not much a sales pitch, but when you realize what if offers, you may realize it’s the only way to live.

We do well to notice that the first believers had all things in common. And we do well to ask, “What do we have in common with the believers closest to us?”

What might happen if we dared to allow him to use us at dinner tables, in meetings, with neighbors, in government, wherever we go?

If you end up on a day where it seems everyone has abandoned the kingdom of God and you are the only one left, then run, don’t walk, to the Lord in prayer. Let him know your pain points and lonely thoughts.

Maybe it's just a Southern thing, but have you noticed there’s a whole lot of “blessing” going on?

Even as fragile and small as we are, we have been entrusted with responsibility to manage the planet. . . . The psalmist gives us not only inspiration but also hope in Psalm 8.

This year, as in every year, we are called to join our Creator and our King in creating, renewing, restoring, and subduing until he comes again.

Maybe prayers that ask God to remember are really more about us remembering that God keeps his promises. I think that became Nehemiah’s issue.

Good leaders not only take on projects. They also develop the people that will lead when they have finished their assignments. The first step Nehemiah took was to appoint leaders for different functions to extend and continue the work of the city.

Instead of threats, they offered him kindness. But Nehemiah knew their overtures were really just another effort to distract him from the work God gave him.

Opposition from without was not the only problem Nehemiah faced. Just as dangerous were situations he found among his own people.

Too often today, if someone doesn’t like something another is doing, the response is to mock them or question their worth. That’s what Nehemiah’s opposition did, but it was not what he did. He chose to pray.

Once the question leads to action, the activity will grow. What will prompt your upcoming work? What will prompt someone to join you?

Nehemiah experienced what you will discover: When God calls you to restore and rebuild, you can be confident at least two things will happen.

God prompts, often where we don’t expect, sometimes before we even realize we need his help. Are you hoping to feel his nudge?

We have something in common with Nehemiah. Faced with falling walls, he found God’s strength to get busy rebuilding. Will we?

It’s the equivalent of “hello,” but maybe this year we can make it mean more.

We teach the next generation to praise God by the way we praise him in both the good and the bad days of our lives. How did that happen in 2021? How will it happen next year?