Your Part
In the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was before him, I took up the wine and gave it to the King. Now I had not been sad in his presence.
And the King said to me, "Why is your face sad, seeing you are not sick? This is nothing but sadness of the heart." Then I was very much afraid.
I said to the King, "Let the King live forever! Why should not my face be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers' graves, lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?"
Then the King said to me, "What are you requesting?" So I prayed to the God of heaven.
And I said to the King, "If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, that you send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers' graves, that I may rebuild it." Nehemiah 2:2-5
INSIGHT
Living in exile within a foreign country, Nehemiah received the devastating news that his homeland was in disrepair. Hearing that the walls of Jerusalem were broken broke Nehemiah's heart, but he didn't ignore the pain or try to fix the problem.
Instead, taking a posture of desperate dependence on God, he responded by feeling something deeply and praying something desperately. Depending on God did not leave Nehemiah apathetic or inactive, but it moved him to display compassion and take action.
Nehemiah asked God to intervene, and God did, but not in the way Nehemiah expected. During his time living in exile, Nehemiah became the cupbearer to the King. This position meant Nehemiah was often in the King's presence. Months of mourning, fasting, and praying took its toll on Nehemiah, so much so that the King noticed.
It was at this moment that Nehemiah recognized God's purpose for his position and how he could leverage it to make things right. Stepping into his mission, Nehemiah asked the King to send him to rebuild those broken walls - a request the King granted with full permission and resources to do the work.
But, there's something you need to know about Nehemiah. He wasn't a builder; he had no clue about construction and had never been the foreman of a project of this scope. Nehemiah was perfectly positioned, but he was not entirely prepared for the task before him, but that didn't stop Nehemiah from stepping out in faith and getting others involved.
There are times God calls you to things that you're not ready for or trained for, and yet He calls you anyway. God does His extraordinary work through your ordinary obedience. God didn't place you where you are by accident or without thought. You have a purpose right where you are in the life you're living right now. God just needs you to be available.
Your part in God's work in this world is to participate. You have a role to play. Participation is not observing or consuming. Neither is it internally focused; it always looks for ways to give. Engagement is getting your hands dirty and being an agent of change in this world. The Church isn't an activity club; it's a powerful movement that progresses through a thousand little steps of faith and obedience.
REFLECTION
What work has God placed in front of you?
How can God use your ordinary obedience to make a difference in this world?
PRAYER
God, You have a purpose for me today. Help me to be sensitive and observant to where You want me to take action and express Your love. May I step boldly into these moments, knowing that even though I might not feel prepared, you can work through me to help others. In Your name, Jesus. Amen.
