Not By Choice
today's reading.
Nehemiah 1 The words of Nehemiah son of Hakaliah: In the month of Kislev in the twentieth year, while I was in the citadel of Susa, 2 Hanani, one of my brothers, came from Judah with some other men, and I questioned them about the Jewish remnant that had survived the exile, and also about Jerusalem...
the blog.
Nehemiah is living in exile serving as a cupbearer for a foreign king when he gets word that the city of Jerusalem, both the remaining Jews and the physical city, are basically in shambles. "The remnant there in the province who had survived the exile is in great trouble and shame. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates are destroyed by fire" (Neh. 1:3). This news weighs heavy on Nehemiah, so he prays. And then, when the opportunity presents itself, he prays again and asks the king to allow him to return and rebuild the city walls and gates.
Sometimes we need to take action or start over on something, not because of anything we did, but because of what someone else has done or because of something that's happened that is outside of our control. That's generally hard. But as we see with Nehemiah, tough situations are no hindrance to God, and He is able and willing to hold us up as we work through whatever the situation may be.
So what did Nehemiah show you about dealing with setbacks and tough situations, especially if they aren't something you caused? When you've had setbacks, how much has prayer played a part in moving forward? Tami W.
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