Nehemiah came to Jerusalem to seek the welfare of the people, and – with the wall building now finished – he turns his attention to the spiritual state of the people of God. After an intense season of serving and working together, they’re in need of personal and corporate renewal. So the people call on Ezra, the priest, to open up God’s word and feed their weary souls. As Ezra reads, we learn what sort of posture we must embrace to experience the kind of ongoing renewal we need to persevere in a life of service.