fbpx

Words of Hope Daily Devotional

The Words of Hope Devotional is a non-profit, donor-supported publication whose goal is to encourage readers to grow in faith through the practice of daily Bible reading and prayer. The devotional is available in your email, in print, and as an app in Google Play and the App Store.

A Persistent Leader

Read: Nehemiah 6:1-15

And I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing a great work and I cannot come down.” (v. 3)

Near the end of his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul encourages the believers to “be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong” (16:13). Nehemiah is one of the Old Testament’s best examples of what that means: his resolute faith and courage in the face of opposition were unwavering. Jerusalem’s enemies were persistent, but Nehemiah was more persistent in his goal to rebuild the walls.

As the work neared completion, Sanballat, Tobiah, and the others continued to try to thwart it. Pretending a desire to negotiate, they invited Nehemiah to meet them away from the city. Nehemiah refused to give them the time of day. “I am doing a great work and I cannot come down,” was his only response to them. When they threatened to tell the king that he was leading a rebellion, he was not intimidated. (He knew the king personally, after all!) Finally, they hired someone to tell him that assassins were coming for him, and his only recourse was to hide in the temple. But Nehemiah wasn’t a Levite; entering the temple would be cowardly and even sinful for him. Once again, Nehemiah was neither frightened nor shaken in his purpose. He was strong and stood firm in the faith.

The end result? The wall was completed in a miraculous 52 days! Nehemiah never doubted God would be faithful among the ruins. And then, suddenly, the ruins were no more. —Laura N. Sweet

As you pray, ask for strength to stand firm in the faith.

About the Author

Laura N. Sweet is a wife, mother, grandmother, and former Christian schoolteacher from Midland, Michigan. She writes devotional material for both adults and children, and her work has appeared in more than a dozen publications.

Individual standing on fence by mountains raising arms

Moses: “Reluctant Leader”

READ : Exodus 3-4:17 Oh, my Lord, please send someone else. (4:13) Moses didn’t exactly see himself as being a spokesperson for God. When God called him to lead the Israelites out of Egypt, Moses’ first reaction was disbelief. Even when

Read More »
Individual standing on fence by mountains raising arms

Uncover His Feet

READ: Ruth 3:1-18 Go and uncover his feet and lie down, and he will tell you what to do. (v. 4) Barley threshing was in progress, and each evening following their work Boaz and his men celebrated another harvest day

Read More »
Individual standing on fence by mountains raising arms

A Word of Exhortation

READ : Hebrews 13:20-25 Bear with my word of exhortation. (v. 22) The book of Hebrews was written to encourage wavering Christians. Its recipients were people who professed the Christian faith, but now were having second thoughts. The writer of Hebrews

Read More »
Individual standing on fence by mountains raising arms

Our Prayers are a Sweet Aroma to The Lord

READ : Revelation 5:6-12 “…Angels were holding golden bowls, full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints” (v. 8). “Another angel…was given a great quantity of incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints” (Rev. 8:3). Do

Read More »
Individual standing on fence by mountains raising arms

Love is the Greatest Virtue

READ : 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13 is well worth memorizing. It upgrades love to the top of the list of Christian virtues. In the

Read More »

Reflections on Noah’s Ark

READ : Genesis 7:11-16 They went into the ark with Noah, two and two of all flesh in which there was the breath of life. And those that entered, male and female of all flesh, went in as God had commanded

Read More »

Podcast

Listen to the daily devotional wherever you get your podcasts.

YouVersion Series

Words of Hope devotionals are available on The Bible App!

Books

Autobiographies and reading plans for groups or individuals.