Nehemiah 5:14-18. Nehemiah is reminding God that he has not taken the taxes or other benefits that he could have been taking as governor during the time the exiles are coming back and Jerusalem is being rebuilt. The people are already suffering enough, and Nehemiah has convinced the wealthy to stop charging them interest on the mortgages they are forced to take to pay the king's taxes. Nehemiah himself takes no more than is necessary for him and his servants to eat, because he sees the servitude is heavy upon the people. He asks God to "Remember for my good, O my God, all that I have done for this people."

This reminds me of Paul not taking from the people to whom he preached, but working for his money instead, even though he admits he would have been entitled to accept food and shelter from them. In Nehemiah's case, the people are heavily burdened financially and Nehemiah is relieving them of some of their burden even if they don't see it. Paul's case was not the same, but maybe he felt the people were burdened by sin or by attachment to earthly things and he didn't want to add to that.

I am taking from this today that I must be more empathetic towards others and aware of what people around me are going through. I may be perfectly entitled to the things that I have or am being given or paid, but if I will suffer a little by giving some portion of them up, or by sharing them, and others are suffering a lot or are in greater need, then I should do so.

Thank you for this message today, Lord, and the reminder that I should not worry about interest on my investments or future income when people around me are suffering in the here and now and I can alleviate some of that suffering.