WEEKEND Edition, 30/31 January, 2021 “Precious Time”

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Hello my “Walking with Jesus” friends,

As we turn the page this weekend to February, oh my what a month of January 2021 this has been, would you agree? May I ask you. . . What were the most significant moments/events of these first 30 days of this new year for YOU, and how do you see yourself positioned for life for these next 28 days of February? What life lessons did you learn this past month? How will those lessons affect how you live this next month?

May I invite you to try something with me? I believe this year of 2021 may be even more eventful than last year was, and to help you track your journey, and watch what God is doing in your life journey, I urge you to take time at the end of each month to write down your answers to the questions I just asked you. (highlighted in blue) Adjust the questions to fit your particular life situation.

Join me again today in Nehemiah 1 in your Bible and I think you’ll see that’s what Nehemiah was doing as he had spent several weeks deeply thinking about the new report he’d received from his brother Hanani (Nehemiah 1:2,3) who’d just returned from Jerusalem. Finally, Nehemiah wrote down for us the prayer that he prayed to God, toward the end of those weeks of deep reflection. I wonder what you see as you read through his prayer, that you’ll find in Nehemiah 1:5-11?

Have you noticed that we have many prayers recorded for us in the Bible,? Almost all begin with words of honoring God for His majestic character and attributes, and then moving into a time of confession and repentance of sin, and then moving to requesting God to remember His promises, His mercy, and finally petitioning God to act specifically in response to the situation at hand. It’s a pattern my friends, that we would do well to learn. I urge you to read Nehemiah’s prayer slowly, carefully, and then spend a few moments praying your own prayer, following Nehemiah’s pattern.

Do you see how Nehemiah ends his prayer? “Give Your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of the king. I was cupbearer to the king.” (Nehemiah 1:11) What do you think Nehemiah meant by that? I think it tells us Nehemiah’s four months of praying and deep thinking had awakened in him a plan… a strategic plan in response to what he had heard from his brother about Jerusalem. But Nehemiah realized he was limited by his vocation, his geographical location, his lack of training and perhaps most of all, the reality of the politics and government power of his day. He was cupbearer to the most powerful man in the world. He was almost 1000 miles away from Jerusalem. He had no training or experience in anything related to rebuilding a city wall. He had no right to be concerned about anything other than the health of the king.

But God… there we go again friends, those two powerful words. As Nehemiah spent those months praying about it all, he couldn’t shake the conviction that God wanted to do something about Jerusalem’s broken down walls, and God wanted to include Nehemiah. It seems to me Nehemiah asked God for specifics. Nehemiah needed to understand, what was the vision God had for the Jerusalem problem and how did God want Nehemiah to fit into that vision? Then Nehemiah prayed that he would be positioned ready if & when God opened the door of opportunity before him! Now that’s how I invite you and me to prepare for February 2021!

Look carefully at what happened next to Nehemiah… as he simply goes on about his normal duties of serving the king. “…when wine was brought before him, I took the wine and gave it to the king.” (Nehemiah 2:1) Sounds normal doesn’t it? But Nehemiah couldn’t hide what was going on in his heart, and Nehemiah didn’t know it, but God was working in the king’s heart. “…I had not been sad in his presence before, so the king asked me, ‘Why does your face look so sad when you are not ill? This can be nothing but sadness of heart.” We assume Mr. Nehemiah had worked for the king for many years, and brought him his royal meals daily, having checked to be sure they were safe and perfectly prepared for his royal highness and guests. I conclude the king had a high level of trust, for Nehemiah held the kings’ life in his hands everyday. But it was not only against political correctness and protocol to be sad in the king’s presence, it was against the law!! Which is why Nehemiah records this: “I was very much afraid…”

My friends, watch this carefully. Nehemiah had prayed for four months, four months my friends, seeking to understand if God wanted him to do something more than simply pray about the report he had heard about Jerusalem. It seems clear God first gave Nehemiah a strong burden to do something, and then God gave him a vision for what God wanted to accomplish through him, even though it seemed impossible. It appears Nehemiah went into the king’s royal presence that day ready and watching to see when and how God might open the door of opportunity for him. What if you and I lived everyday like that… ready and watching to see what God is doing and how God wants to involve us in what HE is doing in our world?

Nehemiah courageously answered the king’s question explaining his sad heart. But then came the crisis moment: “The king said to me ‘What is it you want’?” WOW! Nehemiah must have suddenly felt his throat close, his stomach tie up in knots, his knees grow weak. He had never in his life spoken more important words than he was about to speak! In many ways his whole life was about to be put on a platter before the king! So look what Nehemiah did: “Then I prayed to the God of heaven, and I answered the king.” This is one of the most powerful life skills you and I can develop. When asked a significant question, pause for a few seconds and ask Almighty God to guide your thinking and your response!

Nehemiah’s response reflected months of praying and receiving a vision of what God wanted to accomplish: “If it pleases the king, if your servant has found favor in the king’s sight, let the king send me to the city in Judah where my ancestors are buried so that I can rebuild it.” (Nehemiah 2:5) I would guess the king was shocked, and silence hung in the royal throne room for what must have seemed an eternity. I imagine Nehemiah’s head was bowed honoring the king and queen, and allowing the king time to process the shocking request that he’d just heard. God was working, powerfully in that room!

Finally, the king’s response… and it must have stunned Nehemiah. I’m so glad Nehemiah gives us his personal record of these events: “Then the king, with the queen sitting beside him asked me, ‘How long will your journey take, and when will you get back?” We’ve all been there haven’t we my friends? An unexpected conversation in which we are stunned by what is said and the position in which we find ourselves. But Nehemiah had been preparing in those four months of praying and seeking God’s guidance, so he records for us: “It pleased the king to send me, so I set a time.” (Nehemiah 2:6)

I want us to pause right here for today, and spend this weekend giving serious thought to your life situation. What was 2020 and January 2021 all about for you? How strong is your relationship with Jesus, and what is the authenticity of your prayer relationship with God?

Look carefully… what has God been doing in your life journey? Has God been positioning you, preparing you for something special and is God very soon about to open a new door of opportunity for you to join with God in being part of something big that God is about to do? Are you ready for that? Have you made good use of this past year in BECOMING who God needs you to BE as He draws you into whatever He’s about to do?

Important questions aren’t they? Do you believe God still works like this in our world? Do you believe God accomplishes His work, His purposes THROUGH normal people like you and me who trust Him and are fully committed to Him? Remember this: “The eyes of the LORD roam to and fro across the whole earth, looking to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to HIM.” (2 Chronicles 16:9)

Monday we’ll see what happened next in Nehemiah’s experience… all because he was ready to join with God in something really big! I sure hope you are watching and listening to God so you won’t miss your opportunity! Take some extra time to re-read Nehemiah’s story and apply it to your story. . .what is God saying to you right now, my friends?

Today’s Scripture is Nehemiah 1.

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Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.

Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.

Pastor Doug Anderson 262.441.8785
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)

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