Fixing Problems!

 

            The book of Nehemiah has always fascinated me, perhaps because he was a man of action.  He had been born in exile but his love for his native land and especially the city of Jerusalem is evident from his account. 

            Although over 160 years had passed since the Jews were first taken into captivity, two groups had been allowed to return home almost 90 years before Nehemiah’s adventure began.  When Nehemiah heard that the walls of Jerusalem had still not yet been rebuilt, he was devastated.  He sat down and wept. 

            He could have wallowed in depression, berated those who had gone home and failed to get the job done, or, like many of us, he could have complained that someone needed to do something about that.  However, Nehemiah was a man of action. 

            Nehemiah didn’t just see a problem; he did two things that we should do when we see a need: (1) He prayed and (2) He took a bold step.

            After his initial shock and sorrow, he prayed and fasted.  His prayer gave praise to God and then offered repentance for both himself and his people.  He acknowledged that they had sinned against God and that their exile was the result of their own disobedience.  Then, he sought the Lord’s help as he prepared to seek the King’s blessing for his plan. 

            After praying, he boldly spoke to the King about his sadness of heart.  Before telling the King what he wanted to do, he prayed again.  Then, he boldly asked the King’s permission to return to the city that he loved to rebuild the walls.  When the King responded favorably, he made more requests for letters of authority and supplies.  Miraculously, the King consented. 

            How many times do we see needs, some small and some large, and our first reaction is “someone should fix that”?  What if that someone were me or you?  It’s a lot easier to say “It’s not my job” than it is to try to fix the problem.  Maybe that’s because we often forget Nehemiah’s first step:  Pray!

            There will be multiple problems or needs that will cross our paths every week.  We probably can’t fix all of them but what do we do with those where the Holy Spirit is prompting us to do something or maybe we aren’t quite sure whether it is a problem that God wants us to help resolve?  That’s why our first step should be the same as Nehemiah:  Pray.  We may need to confess the truth that we probably don’t want the responsibility of solving the problem.  We may also need to confess the other times that we’ve ignored the Holy Spirit’s leading.  Then, with a humble heart, we must sincerely seek the Lord’s guidance and boldness in fixing the problem.  We may not always succeed but fortunately, God is more concerned with obedience, a servant’s heart, and our motives than He is with success. 

            As we experience life this week, let’s see what kind of problems and needs God places before us.  Then, PRAY!

Nehemiah 1: 4 - 11