Seeds for 09/02/2024 - Nehemiah 1:11b-2:3
Scripture:
I was cupbearer to the king.
1 In the month of Nisan in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was brought for him, I took the wine and gave it to the king. I had not been sad in his presence before, 2 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.”
I was very much afraid, 3 but I said to the king, “May the king live forever! Why should my face not look sad when the city where my ancestors are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?”
Observation:
Having been moved by the sad state of affairs in Jerusalem and having fasted and prayed, Nehemiah is now ready to approach the king. Observations…
First, as “cupbearer to the king,” Nehemiah is in a position of influence and he takes the opportunity to leverage it. He is authentic in the course of his duties, being visibly sad, which leads to an opening for what is on his heart. Authenticity can be scary, but here it leads to a significant conversation that leads right where Nehemiah needs and wants it to go.
Second, Nehemiah does the hard thing even though he is afraid. I love this simplicity of the sentence. “I was very much afraid, but…” Contrast that with an alternative: “I was very much afraid, so…” Each of these naturally leads to a different conclusion. When our sentence that begins, “I was very much afraid,” continues with “so,” it means we have avoided doing the hard thing, allowing that fear to shape our next move. However, when our sentence continues with “but,” it means that we have proceeded anyway, refusing to let fear dictate the direction of our lives. Nehemiah’s sentence, “I was very much afraid, but…” led to further candor and an opportunity to make the difference he had in his heart to pursue.
Application:
When have you taken a step forward in spite of being afraid?
What else might the Holy Spirit be speaking with you about in the text today?
Prayer: Lord, thank you for the opportunities you provide to pursue the godly burdens you put on my heart. Help me walk by faith and not by fear. Amen.
“But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” (Matthew 13:23)
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