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This weekend my reading brought me to Nehemiah and Romans... two of my most favorite books in the Bible! I really could camp out in these two for weeks. Nehemiah is so rich in instruction for all of us, put especially for leaders. In one time through this book I annotated over fifty different leadership principles from the example of Nehemiah! Then there is Romans... possibly the most rich theological text in all of the Bible. My life verse comes from Romans. Untold numbers of people have been brought to Christ through "The Roman Road." I'm jazzed about what God is going to show me over the next few days... I'm sure far more than I have room to write about!

Scripture
Nehemiah 2:13-16 (NIV) 13 By night I went out through the Valley Gate toward the Jackal Well and the Dung Gate, examining the walls of Jerusalem, which had been broken down, and its gates, which had been destroyed by fire. 14 Then I moved on toward the Fountain Gate and the King's Pool, but there was not enough room for my mount to get through; 15 so I went up the valley by night, examining the wall. Finally, I turned back and reentered through the Valley Gate. 16 The officials did not know where I had gone or what I was doing, because as yet I had said nothing to the Jews or the priests or nobles or officials or any others who would be doing the work.

Observation
Nehemiah has been given permission and resources to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. He has arrived at the city, and before approaching the city leaders or religious leaders he quietly does an assessment of the situation he is facing. He goes out at night, alone, and surveys the entire city, section by section, gate by gate. Only when he has completed his assessment does he address the city leaders and let them know what he is there to do.

There is immense wisdom in in Nehemiah's actions. First, he has to have the right information. All of his understanding of the condition of the city has come from second hand reports. This is his first opportunity to see with his own eyes what kind of task they are facing to rebuild the walls. Second, he wants to be able to address the people who have been there living amongst the ruin in a way that lets them know he knows what he is talking about. If he simply charged in only on the authority of the king and started issuing orders out of ignorance, he would not have had the support of the people. That would show itself when the opposition came... they would not have stood up under it. Nehemiah took the time to get his facts straight before laying out his plan to the city leaders.

Application
There is so much wisdom in everything Nehemiah did. The principle that I extract from this story is that as a leader, when you enter a new situation, take the time to get your facts straight. Quietly do some assessing on your own. For example, as a pastor coming into a rebuilding season for a church, it's important to take the time to understand the situation before taking action. That could mean going quietly out into the community and asking people what they know about the church... discretely. It could mean coming into the church as a guest, or if they already recognize you, hiring a "secret shopper" to come in as a guest and report back on their experience. However its done, the idea is when leading through change it's important to get the facts first hand before speaking. It's something you can't fake... you either have your facts straight or you don't.

Prayer
Lord as you provide opportunities for me to step into new situations to lead, help me remember the importance of getting my facts straight first. Give me the discipline to take the time to research and examine the circumstances for myself, from all angles, quietly and without fanfare, before presenting what you have given me to do to the people.