O Lord, let your ear
be attentive to the prayer of your servant, and to the prayer of your servants
who delight to fear your name, and give success to your servant today, and
grant him mercy in the sight of this man.”
Now I was cupbearer
to the king.
THE STUDY:
In the first statement,
after Nehemiah’s prayer, Now I was
cupbearer to the king, we read and understand this passage as a sign of
Nehemiah’s confidence that the Lord was going to answer his prayer. This is the
case but there is so much to understand that leads to this confidence in a
prayer.
Nehemiah couldn’t simply quit his
job and move to Jerusalem. He was an appointee of the king, and he needed the
king’s permission for everything he did. Furthermore, he needed the king’s
provision and protection so he could travel to Jerusalem and remain away from
his post until the work was completed. Without official authority to govern, an
official guard for the journey, and the right to use materials from the king’s
forest, the entire project was destined to fail. Eastern monarchs were absolute
dictators, and it was not easy to approach them or convince them. But “the king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord;
He directs it like a watercourse wherever He pleases” (Prov. 21:2, NIV).
Too often, we plan our projects and
then ask God to bless them; but Nehemiah didn’t make that mistake. He sat down
and wept (Neh. 1:4), knelt down and prayed, and then stood up and worked
because he knew he had the blessing of the Lord on what he was doing.[1]
WHAT WE CAN WALK AWAY
WITH ….
- We walk away this morning with the understanding that confidence in our project, our day, or our lives comes after prayer. Not in the plans we devise first.
APPLICATION:
I am reminded
of a story about prayer. The earliest
African converts to Christianity were earnest and regular in their private
devotions. Each one reportedly had separate spots in the thicket where he
poured out his heart to God. The several paths to these little Bethels became
distinctly marked; and when any one began to decline in devotions, it was soon
apparent to others. They would then kindly remind him, saying, “Brother, the
grass grows on your path yonder.”
Today,
don’t let grass grow where your prayer spot is. Don’t engage a routine task, a
future project, or a problem that seems too big for you to handle until you
have spent time with the one who can bless, guide, and direct your course of
action.
Blessings my friends
Pastor Rod
[1]
Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). Be Determined.
“Be” Commentary Series (20). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
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