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PrevPrevious EntryA Broken Heart Becomes a Big Vision: Lessons from Nehemiah 1
Next EntryAnswering God’s CallingNext

BACK TO THE PASTOR’S TABLE

When did God call you?

 

In Nehemiah 1:11, he ends his prayer with a very specific request, notice what it is,

“11 Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name. Give your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man.”

(Nehemiah 1:11, NIV)

“The man” Nehemiah is talking about is the King of Persia, Artaxerxes, the most powerful person in the whole world at that time.  And here Nehemiah is asking for God to grant him favor and we’ll see in the coming chapters that Nehemiah will ask him for permission to go and rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.

And this is why chapter 1 ends this way, “I was cupbearer to the king.” Nehemiah begins to see there’s an opportunity for him, and he is willing to put himself on the line. He is willing to leave the comforts of the palace and go to the ruins and work on this problem himself. He was willing to sacrifice the security of Persia and move to the dangerous territory of Jerusalem, a city with no protection.

Why does Nehemiah do that? The answer is because he was a man with a dislocated heart. Which leads us to point and important aspect of Nehemiah which is the position of Nehemiah

You see, Nehemiah’s not just asking God to solve the problem, He’s asking God to allow Him to be part of the solution. And so after this prayer, he stands up with confidence and he begins to see, this was the opportunity God placed before him, and here he is going to do something about it and here he realizes that this was his life’s calling.

Nehemiah cared enough to volunteer. Nehemiah didn’t just care enough to ask, weep, pray, he also cared enough to volunteer. And the rest of Nehemiah tells that story and it’s amazing. After decades of the city being in ruins, he completes this entire project in 52 days! 52 days! Incredible. We will get there in the coming chapters.

Dave Hentschel

Dave Hentschel

David Hentschel serves as Lead Pastor: Preaching, Spiritual Formation and Care at Millington Baptist Church in Basking Ridge, NJ. He is a graduate of Philadelphia Biblical University and Dallas Theological Seminary. He and his wife Juli enjoy three children.
PrevPrevious EntryA Broken Heart Becomes a Big Vision: Lessons from Nehemiah 1
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Anger, Covenant and Compromise

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November 14, 2023
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  In the grand tapestry of life, the Word of God is as vital as the air we breathe. Just as we inhale and exhale to sustain our physical existence, our souls need the nourishment of the divine scriptures. Nehemiah 8:1-12, a profound passage from the Bible, paints a vivid...
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  Winston Churchill, the iconic British statesman who led his country through World War II, once quipped to his wife, "If this is a blessing in disguise, it's very well disguised." He made this comment after losing the 1945 general election, signaling his frustration at the unexpected turn of events....
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Anger, Covenant and Compromise

Hulk … SMASH! Let me offer an image that captures the essence of Nehemiah 13: The Incredible Hulk! Hulk first appeared in a Marvel Comic in the year 1962. Hulk has an alter ego, Bruce Banner, who was famously exposed to Gamma Radiation, giving him super strength. However, there was a catch—to achieve the super

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Does God Hear My Prayers?

  The Necessity of Prayer Today I’d like to continue with the topic of prayer, which we covered earlier in the week. Prayer is such an important topic in our spiritual lives. Years ago, I attended a conference where Jon Tyson was a speaker. If you don’t know him, he is a pastor in NYC,

Read More
Bob Erbig November 16, 2023

Four Components of Authentic Prayer from Nehemiah 9

A.I. Generated Prayer The main theme of Nehemiah 9 is prayer. Do you struggle with consistent prayer? Nehemiah 9 exposes the reason for our struggles and simultaneously it shows us how to pray. If you a prayer struggler, there is good news: Artificial Intelligence can even help you pray. Would you believe there is a

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Bob Erbig November 14, 2023
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