Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther

when i was studying those books tonight for the bible contest, i was touched again...
can u count how many times did Ezra say: "because the hand of the Lord my God was on me"?
can u count how many times did Nehemiah ask the Lord my God to remember him and mention "the gracious hand of my God was upon me"?
do u know how many times did Esther say anything about God?
most of them the time, the reason y "they make it" is "because of God..."...

i am still touched when i read nehemiah...
it's not easy to build sth for God. there's always some "enemies" coming up and wanna destroy your work.
they can be gentiles, which u kinda expect they'll do so coz of jealousy.
but they may also be your brothers and sisters! in which case.. it's pretty hurt...
in chapter5, the nobles and officials take advantages of the poors.
that reminds me the song which said in the last days of the earth, believers destroy the church body.
during that time, Nehemiah has never taken any salary, which is what he deserved. he sacrificed himself so that the poor can live easier. not only him, but his brothers too! have u ever thought abt that? i guess it's probably him who has touched others n so they did the same thing.

i hope we can be "as one man" in the Lord.. just like the Israelites settled in Jerusalem... (Ezra 3:1)