“I put in charge of Jerusalem my brother Hanani, along with Hananiah the commander of the citadel, because he was a man of integrity and feared God more than most men do.” (Nehemiah 7:2 NIV)”
I like the wording of the New International Version. Nehemiah had returned from Persia to rebuild shattered Jerusalem—the city of David. Few were living in the city, and the first thing he thought to do was to fortify the city. After the wall had been built, he appointed his brother Hanani and another called Hananiah to be in charge of the city. The word used here actually means “district leaders,” but can also refer to “guardians” (Daniel 10:20, 12:1). Hananiah is described as “a man of integrity (reliable) [who also] feared God more than most men do.” What an honor to have this inscribed about you in God’s holy word! God is looking for reliable men and women to be about God’s business. Our model is, of course, Jesus himself who was always about His Father’s business (Luke 2:49 NKJ). Some of us might be upset by perceived slights from others. Maybe we are upset that we are not recognized by others as we think we should. What is that about?! We need to die to ourselves and our personal desires and look for ways to lift up Jesus as Lord. What God looks for, and what we should look for in others is reliability coupled with a fear of God. The reliable person always agrees with God that while God is exalted, he is a mere servant to God and the Body of Christ. Definitely, in God’s order of things “the first shall be last and the last shall be first” (Mark 9:35).
Pray: “Heavenly Father, impress upon us the importance of moving beyond the things of salvation into real discipleship. Help us to experience your joy that can only come when we are walking right with You.”