Nehemiah 7—9, Acts 3 • Key Verse: Nehemiah 7:2
“Who ya gonna call?” became a catch phrase back in the 1980s. Both the question and its
intended answer came out of popular culture but hit on a basic need. When you need something
done, who are you “gonna call”? And from the world of advertising came the slogan, “When it
absolutely, positively has to get there … " From both movies and Madison Avenue, a basic need
was recognized—the need for being able to trust that the job will get done. In particular, it is
knowing whom you can trust.
When the wall was completed, Nehemiah knew that the job was not done. There was more to
restoring the city of Jerusalem than just putting the pieces back together. He needed to put
someone in charge of the city, to see that things were run the way they should be. He chose his
brother Hanani, along with Hananiah, the commander of the citadel.
Nehemiah knew his brother’s ability and he also knew two things about Hananiah that made him
the right choice. First, Hananiah was a man of integrity. When someone is a person of integrity,
he can be trusted. There is no deceit or acceptance of wrongdoing in such a person.
Second, Hananiah feared God more than most men do. For many people, the opposite is true:
they fear man more than God. But Hananiah kept it in the right order. He was more concerned
about what God thought than what other men thought. That perspective would keep him a person
of integrity.

Hananiah is an example of what every one of us should be—people of integrity who fear God.
Are there any weaknesses in your life, areas that you hope no one learns about? Today you can
take the first step in strengthening your integrity.If you really fear God, you will not want any
wrong in your life.

Woodrow Kroll & Tony Beckett
www.backtothebible.in