“I asked them concerning the Jews who escaped…” (Nehemiah 1:2) Bible Reading: Nehemiah 1:1-3 I have always enjoyed reading the Old Testament book of Nehemiah. Ever since coming across Cyril Barber’s book Nehemiah and the Dynamics of Effective Leadership over 30 years ago, I have viewed Nehemiah as one of the most inspirational leader-figures in the Bible. The book of Nehemiah has more to offer than leadership principles, however, and I want to dwell on some of its spiritual riches in this next series of devotionals. We begin with its introduction where we discover how Nehemiah came to learn of the desperate condition of the city of Jerusalem some 450 years B.C.