February 14, 2010

A Person with Passion

Every great leader has clarity of vision, strength of character, and a passion to see their vision become reality. Nehemiah was such a leader. Does God still need such leaders today to see his work accomplished? Could God be calling you to be such a leader? (Nehemiah 1:1-4; 2:11-18)

An Issue of Trust

Throughout ancient history, monarchs had a bad habit of dying suspiciously. Therefore, dating at least to the courts of the Egyptian pharaohs, rulers placed an intermediary between themselves and those who prepared their food and drink. Nehemiah was one such intermediary, the cupbearer for Artaxerxes, king of the vast Persian Empire. Clearly, it was a position of trust. Find out more about the role of trust in the administration of ancient kingdoms in this week's Illustrated Bible Life article, "An Issue of Trust."