Nehemiah 2
Scripture
Nehemiah 2:20a
Observation-What does it say?
Nehemiah went to the king with a sad countenance. The king noticed his sadness and asked what was wrong. Nehemiah responded that he was sad because of the state Jerusalem was in. He desired to rebuild it and the king ended up releasing him to that project/mission.
Understanding-What does it mean?
Nehemiah had a heart for rebuilding Jerusalem and did not just sit back and let someone else rebuild it. He took the steps needed to start the process because God's hand was upon him.
2. He gave the king a certain time frame when he would get the job done.
3. He had a plan. He requested letters as he had already foreseen some of the obstacles ahead, such as safely passing through until Judah and also obtaining the materials to rebuild.
Take action. We must not wait for someone else to step up and rebuild.
When God is on our side, who can be against us? (Rom. 8:31) The Lord has strengthened us with His Holy Spirit, His Word, wise counsel from parents and Spirit filled leaders of the faith, and blessed us with a brain to accomplish His will. Whether we are working to build His Kingdom, rebuild a strained relationship, or rebuild our own lives after straying from His best for us and dealing with those consequences, the Lord has given us everything we need to take action.
Dear Lord, thank You for Nehemiah's example. He didn't stay sad when his heart was breaking over the state of Jerusalem. He took action and did what He needed to do with the resources You had already given him. Please forgive me for the many times I have looked at situations hopelessly and did not operate on Your strength, not seeing things through Your eyes, but my own. Please continue to give me clarity on rebuilding certain areas of my life and help me operate boldly in Your authority. Amen.