Outreach: Helping Our Community

Nehemiah 5

“They were saying, ‘We have such large families. We need more food to survive.’ Others said, ‘We have mortgaged our fields, vineyards, and homes to get food during the famine.’” – Nehemiah 5:2-3

It was an exciting time to be in Jerusalem! The city was coming alive again as families work together to rebuild the wall and community. People donated their time, energy, and material possessions to this effort. Yet, there were some people in Jerusalem who are hungry and struggling to survive.

Nehemiah called a public meeting and said to the Israelites, “What you are doing is not right!” (Nehemiah 5:9). To help their neighbors, the Israelites had to change their behavior: stop charging interest on loans and restore fields, vineyards, and homes to the people who needed them more.

Nehemiah sacrificed even more than that. He chose to work alongside the people and refused to accept his salary as governor, even though he fed more than 150 people every night for supper.

There are many individuals in our community who are hurting. Some people are without jobs; others are living in poverty. Parents have lost their children, children are being abused, and others live in such a deep state of depression that they feel hopeless. What can we do to reach out to them? What sacrifice can we make to serve our community, to show them God’s love?

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