Joshua Kennedy's Weekly Devotion

  Introduction:  Nehemiah 1 does not record the rebuilding of Jerusalem’s walls. Instead, it reveals how God prepared the rebuilder. Before Nehemiah lifted a tool, developed a plan, confronted opposition, or called the people to action, he received a burden. He entered prayer, confessed sin, remembered God’s covenant, and made himself available. The command to “rise up and build” appears in Nehemiah 2:18, but the spiritual preparation that made that response possible happened in chapter 1. God-given rebuilding begins when the brokenness around us becomes a burden within us and moves us toward prayerful, repentant, and responsible action. Freedom Must Become Responsibility Nehemiah 1:1–3 “Things are not going well for those who returned to the province of Judah. They are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem has been torn down, and the gates have been destroyed by fire.” God did not bring Israel out of exile merely to survive among the ruins. The people were no l...

Introduction: Learning to fly requires more than desire. A student pilot must learn to trust the instructor, follow the instruments, resist dangerous impulses, and remain committed to the assigned flight plan. In the same way, the church cannot fulfill Christ’s mission through enthusiasm, talent, or human effort alone. We must learn by watching Jesus. Luke 4 shows us what a Spirit-led life looks like. Jesus is led by the Spirit into the wilderness, remains grounded in the Word under temptation, returns in the Spirit’s power, and announces the mission the Father gave Him. He does not act independently, accept shortcuts, seek recognition, or create His own assignment. His life is completely surrendered to the Father. Jesus is more than our example. He is the eternal Son of God, the promised Messiah, and the Savior who accomplished what no one else could. Yet He also shows His followers how to live, move, and minister in dependence upon the Holy Spirit. If the church is going to take flig...

      Waiting seasons are often preparation seasons. At Mount Sinai, God paused Israel’s journey so He could form them into His covenant people. Before bringing them into the Promised Land, He brought them to Himself. He reminded them of what He had done, declared who they were, and prepared them for what they were called to do. 1. God Brings Us to Himself Before He Brings Us Forward Exodus 19:1–4 (NLT) “Exactly two months after the Israelites left Egypt, they arrived in the wilderness of Sinai. After breaking camp at Rephidim, they came to the wilderness of Sinai and set up camp there at the base of Mount Sinai. Then Moses climbed the mountain to appear before God. The Lord called to him from the mountain and said, ‘Give these instructions to the family of Jacob; announce it to the descendants of Israel: “You have seen what I did to the Egyptians. You know how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself.”’” Israel had left Egypt, but before God brought them ...

  The wilderness is not proof that God has abandoned us. It is often where He exposes what remains unhealed, teaches us to trust His provision, and prepares us for what comes next. The In-Between Place Israel had left Egypt, but they had not yet entered the Promised Land. They were living between deliverance and destination: Free, but not fully formed Carrying a promise, but not yet seeing its fulfillment Following God, but still learning to trust Him The wilderness can feel unproductive, but it is often God’s runway. Before an aircraft takes off, it must be positioned, inspected, and prepared. In the same way, God uses in-between seasons to prepare His people for where He is taking them. The wilderness is not where progress stops. It is often where preparation begins. 1. The Wilderness Reveals What Freedom Has Not Yet Healed “If only the Lord had killed us back in Egypt… There we sat around pots filled with meat and ate all the bread we wanted.”
— Exodus 16:3 NLT   Only a mon...

God can bring people out of bondage in a moment, but learning to live free often requires a process. Israel had left Egypt, but Egypt had not fully left Israel. They were physically delivered, but still fragile in their thinking, emotions, and trust. They were no longer slaves, but they still carried the instincts of slavery. This is the tension of Exodus 14: Israel is free, but still learning how to live free. God not only brings His people out; He teaches them how to walk forward. The wilderness becomes the place where God forms His people for the promise. Breaking gravity means leaving behind the old pull of fear, trauma, unbelief, survival thinking, and bondage. God is calling His people to rise, but He must also teach us how to think, trust, and walk as free people. Movement 1: Fear Looks Back Exodus 14:10–12 “As Pharaoh approached, the people of Israel looked up and panicked when they saw the Egyptians overtaking them.” — Exodus 14:10 NLT Fear has a way of pulling us back tow...

Introduction God brings His people out of bondage so they can rise into worship, obedience, and covenant purpose. God did not deliver Israel simply so they could leave Egypt. He delivered them so they could belong fully to Him. Their freedom was not about independence; it was about worship, obedience, and covenant purpose. For generations, Israel lived under Pharaoh’s oppression. They knew what it was to be controlled, delayed, burdened, and treated as less than God had called them to be. But Exodus 12 shows us that Pharaoh never had the final word. Bondage did not have the final word. Delay did not have the final word. The Lord brought His people out. Through the lens of this series, the word of the Lord was not only “Let My people go.” It was, “Let My people fly.” 1. God Breaks What Has Been Holding His People Exodus 12:29–30 NLT “At midnight, the Lord struck down all the firstborn sons in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn son of Pharaoh, who sat on his throne, to the firstborn s...

Main Thought Before people ever take flight in obedience, they must decide whether they will trust God beyond their excuses. Fear keeps us grounded, but faith gives us runway. Introduction God does not call people because they already feel ready. He calls them because He is ready to be with them. Before Moses became the deliverer of Israel, he had to walk through his own process of deliverance. The man God sent to bring Israel out of bondage first had to be brought out of fear, insecurity, reluctance, and unbelief. This is often how God works. Before He uses us publicly, He deals with us privately. Before He sends us to help others walk in freedom, He exposes the places where we still need freedom ourselves. Moses was not eager, confident, or self-assured when God called him. He was hesitant. He was afraid. He was deeply aware of his own limitations. His story reminds us that the issue is not whether we feel capable of doing what God has placed before us. The issue is whether we will t...