As we saw yesterday, it was time for Nehemiah to ask. With everything we do timing is important which is why we build into our lives a strategy and plans, but was this the last chance saloon?
We have seen that Nehemiah’s first reaction on hearing the news was to pray. Prayer was not something that Nehemiah thought about after trying all his other plans and strategies, not all. He did not say “well I have tried all other avenues. I might as well give prayer a chance!”. This was no last chance saloon – in fact it was quite the opposite! It was the first part of Nehemiah’s plan.
There is however something I want you to consider; I believe God also has plans.
The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord
Psalm 37:23 KJV
Let me explain. It is no coincidence that Nehemiah had the position he did. I believe it was God-ordained. Listen to the verse again. A good man’s steps are ordained by the Lord.
God often places people in strategic positions in order to accomplish His own purposes. Consider Moses‘ beginning. God placed into Moses’ care at the court of Egypt his own mother to become his nanny and thus provided Moses with the perfect upbringing. This would lead to Moses eventually leading over two million people out of Egypt.
Years later Israel, once more under a foreign nation, were about to be wiped out but God had other plans; He ordained a Jewish woman to win a beauty contest to become the king’s wife (Queen Esther) and hence save her nation. This act is celebrated in the Jewish calendar every year.
I could go on and on. Of course, the greatest plan was God sending Jesus to save us from the deadliest of viruses to ever hit mankind. It is called sin and we all carry it. Jesus did not carry the virus and therefore God’s plan was to allow Jesus to die to take away this virus. We can know the freedom from sin and captivity by putting our trust in Jesus.
You see Nehemiah like Moses and Esther relied on the strategy and plans of God, believing they were born for such times as the situation they faced. They believed it was no coincidence, no fluke, but a God-ordained time and position in which God could work out His plans.
God used Nehemiah, a man who without doubt had a relationship with the king. You see God had ordained Nehemiah’s job to be that of the king’s cupbearer (Nehemiah 1:11).
It was, as you will be aware, the most important assignment in the ancient world. His job was to drink and taste the food before the king to make sure it was not poisoned. This often meant the king and his cupbearer had a special relationship. Not a job I would apply for but you know Nehemiah would be fine because God had ordained Nehemiah’s steps.
Using his position he could ask the king for an assignment to rebuild the wall and as I said yesterday look at chapter two to the encounter with the king to see the result of Nenhmiah’s request all built upon prayer.
So let me end with these questions…
- Where has God placed you in order to accomplish His purposes?
- What position and responsibility do you hold that might be useful to bring about good?
- Like Nehemiah, are you in prayer about what God is doing in the world? And are you prayerfully considering ways to influence your world wherever God has placed you to bring about His will?
Stay safe and blessed.