Scripture:
Nehemiah 1:1-3
The
words of Nehemiah the son of Hacaliah. Now it happened in the month Chislev, in
the twentieth year, while I was in Susa the capitol, that
Hanani, one of my brothers, and some men from Judah came; and I asked them
concerning the Jews who had escaped and had survived the captivity, and
about Jerusalem. They said to me, "The remnant there in the
province who survived the captivity are in great distress and reproach, and the
wall of Jerusalem is broken down and its gates are burned with fire."
Insights: Leaders
are always faced with “impossible” circumstances and tasks. Nehemiah was 800 miles from Jerusalem and
serving under a non-believing king as cupbearer. He, however, had a heart for the things of
God and desired to see the wall rebuilt for the protection of the people. We know Nehemiah has this heart because of
the two questions he asked his biological brother, Hanani. He wanted to know how the people in Jerusalem
were doing and the condition of the city.
Hanani told him the people were in great distress and reproach. The Hebrew word for great distress means “misery”
or “calamity.” These people’s lives are
horrible beyond recognition. The Hebrew
word for reproach means “sharp, cutting, penetrating, or piercing.” The surrounding nations were assaulting the
people with critical and slanderous words intent on doing the people harm. Nehemiah was the cupbearer. He could have closed his eyes toward the
situation, but he refused to do so. How
many times do we as people pretend the evils of this world do not really
exist? We see the down and out and justify
our unwillingness to give assistance.
Beloved, I don’t know about you, but as for me, it occurs way too
often. It did not matter that Nehemiah
was safe and comfortable living in the palace.
His heart was for the things about which God’s heart was concerned—the people
and Jerusalem. Be very careful as you
pursue the successes of this world to not forget what God would have you to do
while on this side of eternity. His
heart is sensitive to the needs of others and we are His tools to meet those
needs. So, I encourage you today to
spend some extra time with the Father and ask Him if your priorities are right. Are these priorities set on the things about
which He cares or are they on your personal desires. I will tell you, Beloved, there are times it
is very hard to have a heart for the things of God, but we are commanded to do
so.
Questions:
- To what is your heart drawn?
- Is your heart tender toward the things of God even when
it is hard?
Prayer: Father, so
often I pursue my heart’s desires and not Yours. Forgive me when I do forsake You for
self. Transform my heart to be tender
toward You and the pursuits You wish for me to undertake. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment