Nehemiah’s Loving Grief

Read Nehemiah 1
 
Nehemiah 1:4-6 When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven. 5 “O Lord, God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and obey his commands, 6 let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel. I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father’s house, have committed against you.”
 
WE move past the stories of the kings and major prophets Elijah and Elisha* to the book of Nehemiah. Ezra, Nehemiah and Zechariah record the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the temple as the Jews return from the Exile in Babylon. The dates of their writing make them among the last in the Old Testament timeline.
    Nehemiah is a very practical example of faithful God-inspired leadership. As Christians are called to lead in God’s kingdom, we can learn much from Nehemiah.
    The first thing we learn is that a proper to grief can compel us to action. Are you grieved – very sad – about some aspect of your own life, your family, your faith, your nation or your church? Would you like those circumstances to change? Then Nehemiah teaches you to seek the Lord and respond to what the LORD points you to do. Seek a solution. Listen to the what you must do. Then do it.
    For example, there are people who become politicians, business people, missionaries, soldiers, social workers, teachers, attorneys, nurses, engineers, farmers, etc. because they believe God is leading them to those vocations as a means to respond to issues that grieve them. History records a great number of people who have helped improve the human condition, even changed cultures and worldviews, as they saw the effects of poverty, slavery, hunger, disease and hard labor. Some of the world’s most effective companies, governments and ministries came about because some one or several people grieved the circumstances they witnessed. Then they did something about it.
    Nehemiah was a servant of a king who became a servant of God. Cupbearer to one of the world’s most powerful kings, his position certainly didn’t qualify him to rebuild Jerusalem. But his compassion and his faith did.
    Read his humble prayer, and pray it for yourself. See its confession, intercession and compassion. Read how Nehemiah specifically asked God to grant his desires and ease his grief in the will of God.
    Too often when something grieves us, we may say, “It is what it is.” Well, that could be true because no one does anything to change “it”. Maybe it’s time you did.
 
Colossians 3:16-17 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.