I would rather be sick and have righteousness, than enjoy good health and be unrighteous...

I read through the book of Nehemiah this morning while on my back deck, off my master bedroom. I was only going to read a few chapters, but found I could not stop and ended up reading all 13. It was a beautiful morning. Birds chirping, slight breeze, and not too hot... yet.

The chapter that keeps coming to mind is 6. Especially:

...6 In it was written, "It is reported among the nations, and Gashmu says, that you and the Jews are planning to rebel; therefore you are rebuilding the wall. And you are to be their king, according to these reports.

7 "You have also appointed prophets to proclaim in Jerusalem concerning you, 'A king is in Judah!' And now it will be reported to the king according to these reports. So come now, let us take counsel together."

8 Then I sent a message to him saying, "Such things as you are saying have not been done, but you are inventing them in your own mind."

9 For all of them were trying to frighten us, thinking, "They will become discouraged with the work and it will not be done." But now, O God, strengthen my hands.

10 When I entered the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah, son of Mehetabel, who was confined at home, he said, "Let us meet together in the house of God, within the temple, and let us close the doors of the temple, for they are coming to kill you, and they are coming to kill you at night."

11 But I said, "Should a man like me flee? And could one such as I go into the temple to save his life? I will not go in."

12 Then I perceived that surely God had not sent him, but he uttered his prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.

13 He was hired for this reason, that I might become frightened and act accordingly and sin, so that they might have an evil report in order that they could reproach me.

14 Remember, O my God, Tobiah and Sanballat according to these works of theirs, and also Noadiah the prophetess and the rest of the prophets who were trying to frighten me.

15 So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of the month Elul, in fifty-two days.

16 When all our enemies heard of it, and all the nations surrounding us saw it, they lost their confidence; for they recognized that this work had been accomplished with the help of our God....

C.H. Spurgeon-- When the [hungry and thirsty one] hears of righteousness by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, he leaps at it, and lays hold upon it, for it exactly meets his case...
The hunger now takes another form. The pardoned and justified man now desires to be right in his conduct, and language, and thought: he pines to be righteous in his whole life. He would be marked by integrity, kindness, mercifulness, love, and everything else which goes to make up a right condition of things toward his fellow-creatures. He ardently desires to be correct in his feelings and conduct towards God: he craves rightly to know, obey, pray, praise, and love his God. He cannot rest till he stands towards God and man as he ought to stand. His longing is not only to be treated as righteous by God, which comes through the atoning blood and righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ; but that he may be actually righteous before the heart-searching God. Nor will this suffice him: not only must his conduct be right but he pants to be himself right. He finds within himself irregular desires, and he would have these utterly destroyed. He finds tendencies towards unrighteousness; and although he resists these, and overcomes them, yet the tendencies themselves are abhorrent to him. ... He longs to have the fountain of his being cleansed. He hungers to, "put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness." He thirsts to be "renewed in knowledge, after the image of him that created him." ... The godly man hungers and thirsts to see righteousness in others. At times, when he sees the conduct of those around him, he cries, "My soul is among lions; and I lie even among them that are set on fire." ...He hungers for godly company; he thirsts to see the unholy made holy; and there he cries out in his daily prayers, "Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven." With hunger and thirst he cries, "Lord, end the reign of sin! Lord cast down idols! Lord, chase error from the earth! Lord, turn men from lust, and avarice, and cruelty, and drunkenness."

...The man does not long for twenty things, but only for one thing, and for that one thing by itself. The hunger and the thirst are "after righteousness." The man does not hunger for wealth: he would rather be poor and be righteous, than be rich through evil. He does not hunger after health; though he would wish to have that great blessing, yet he would rather be sick and have righteousness, than enjoy good health and be unrighteous.

He does not even set before himself, as his great object, the rewards of righteousness. These are very desirable: the respect of one's fellows, peace of mind, and communion with God, are by no means little things; but he does not make these the chief objects of his desire ... His hunger and thirst are after honesty, purity, rectitude, and holiness: he hungers and he thirsts to be what God would have him to be....

Oh, to be holy, whether that should mean sorrow! Oh, to be pure in heart, whether that would bring me honour or contempt! This—this is the blessed thirst.

...True, I have to cry with the leper, "Unclean, unclean"; and yet, as a believer in the Lord Jesus, I am justified in him, accepted in him, and in him complete. God looks on me, not as I am, but as Christ is. He sees me through the perfect obedience of the Well-beloved, and I stand before him without condemnation, nay, with full acceptance and favour. The more you think of the righteousness of Christ, the more it will fill you with grateful satisfaction, for his righteousness is far greater than your unrighteousness. ... "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus."... "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."

7 The law of the LORD is perfect, restoring the soul;
The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.
8 The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.
9 The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of the LORD are true; they are righteous altogether.
10 They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold;
Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb.
11 Moreover, by them Your servant is warned;
In keeping them there is great reward.
12 Who can discern his errors? Acquit me of hidden faults.
13 Also keep back Your servant from presumptuous sins;
Let them not rule over me;
Then I will be blameless,
And I shall be acquitted of great transgression.
14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight,
O LORD, my rock and my Redeemer. --Ps. 19