Leading Change

S -Nehemiah 2

Nehemiah Inspects Jerusalem’s Walls

11 So I came to Jerusalem and was there three days. 12 And I arose in the night, I and a few men with me. I did not tell anyone what my God was putting into my mind to do for Jerusalem and there was no animal with me except the animal on which I was riding. 13 So I went out at night by the Valley Gate in the direction of the Dragon’s Well and on to the Refuse Gate, inspecting the walls of Jerusalem which were broken down and its gates which were consumed by fire. 14 Then I passed on to the Fountain Gate and the King’s Pool, but there was no place for my mount to pass. 15 So I went up at night by the ravine and inspected the wall. Then I entered the Valley Gate again and returned. 16 The officials did not know where I had gone or what I had done; nor had I as yet told the Jews, the priests, the nobles, the officials or the rest who did the work.

17 Then I said to them, “You see the bad situation we are in, that Jerusalem is desolate and its gates burned by fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem so that we will no longer be a reproach.” 18 I told them how the hand of my God had been favorable to me and also about the king’s words which he had spoken to me. Then they said, “Let us arise and build.” So they put their hands to the good work. 19 But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab heard it, they mocked us and despised us and said, “What is this thing you are doing? Are you rebelling against the king?” 20 So I answered them and said to them, “The God of heaven will give us success; therefore we His servants will arise and build, but you have no portion, right or memorial in Jerusalem.

O- The book of Nehemiah is a reflection on what a leader needs to do when he goes to rebuild. In this case Nehemiah has been given permission by Nebuchadnezzar to restore Jerusalem. Once Nehemiah arrives the first thing he does is takes a few good men with him to inspect the wall. He did so somewhat in secrecy so as not to arouse suspicion in fear in those in and outside of Jerusalem. Once complete with his inspection he knew what he needed to, to carefully recruit people to rebuild the wall while being politically sensitive to those in leadership in and around Jerusalem.

A-The application for me is one of learning to lead change. Almost all organizational change comes with great risk organizationally, but promises great potential. What Nehemiah does skillfully is ensures he Follows a couple of principles in leading this change. 

1.First he takes and builds a coalition trusted advisors.

2. He does a gap analysis of what is to what should be.
3. Then he announces his plan for change, and the source of his authority. In this case it came from both Nebuchadnezzar, and from God, two very credible sources.

P-dear heavenly father thank you for this morning‘s devotion may it be sealed to my heart.  Lord I pray that you would help me to apply this lesson to my own leadership of people that you have placed before me in the organizations that you have called me to lead. I pray that you give me the homeowners of heart in the words of wisdom to lead this kind of change, that you had Nehemiah lead. I pray this in Jesus Christ name, amen.