What do you need?
Nehemiah was a noble and meek young man. Nehemiah was a Jew, and even though he was rich, he was more favored than all the king’s servants. King Artaxerxes in the twentieth year of his reign, Nehemiah was a cup-bearer in the palace of Shushan. The definition for cup-bearer is a servant who pours wine, especially one employed by a royal household. (Encarta Dictionary) Nehemiah’s brother Hanani and several other men came from the land of Judah. Nehemiah was so eager to hear all about the land of his fathers that when all his duties were done, he asked his brother Hanani, and the other men about Jerusalem, and all the many Jews who went back to rebuild the temple of the LORD. Nebuchadnezzar had in early times, with his soldiers tore the walls down, burned them, and the place looked so desolate, this was the place where David ruled over God’s precious people. The Jews were depressed, and broken with the enemies around them. When Nehemiah heard this news, he wept and his heart was so heavy. His desire was to see the Jews which was his own people with the prosperity of the land. Nehemiah prayed, fasted, and he had a desire to help his people. Without the consent of the King Artaxerxes, Nehemiah had no hope by helping his people. The king notices real quickly that Nehemiah wasn’t his normal cheerful self. While he was pouring the wine into the goblet, the king notices quickly that Nehemiah’s sad expression on his face. The king wanted to know why he was so saddened. Nehemiah tells the king all about that the Jews. Nehemiah wasn’t alone on this journey; King Artaxerxes agrees to send his captions and his soldiers to go with him. The king gives Nehemiah the letters that he had written. Nehemiah wasn’t going to let anything stop him from rebuilding the walls. For about three days, Nehemiah rested; during the night he took a few of the soldiers to see the conditions of the city walls. The walls were in a broken-down condition. Nehemiah told the priests and the rulers that God was disappointed to see his people in a depressing place. God answered Nehemiah prayers by the rebuilding of the walls. God is not a genie in a bottle, to always grant us everything we request of him.
God is looking for those who are willing to put feet to their prayers. James 2:20 -20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
What do you need?
Have a blessed and thankful Thursday,
Lynne
