DILIGENCE 3 - When something needs to be done, do it!

 Diligence 3 - English files

Fleiß 3 - German files

Devotional Thoughts about Nehemiah Chapters 1-5

Nehemiah was a Jew of the captivity who’d made it good in Persia, but when his brother told him about the derelict state of Jerusalem, he cried and mourned for days. Although he’d probably never been there, he wanted to go help his people.

He fasted and prayed over the situation and specifically about approaching his boss, King Artaxerxes (1:11). As his cupbearer—the one who made sure he wasn’t poi­soned—Nehemiah surely had a track record of reliability. When the king noticed his changed demeanor, he asked what was wrong and was told of his burden.

Artaxerxes asked for the request he knew was coming, and in the few seconds before answering, Nehemiah prayed one of the short, pithy prayers he’s known for (see for instance 5:19, 6:9). The king responded by granting a leave of absence and arranging for letters of passage and the wood needed to rebuild the city wall.

Nehemiah is a great example of initiative. He was willing to spearhead the project of rebuilding the wall, and he wasn’t afraid of hard work in adverse conditions. Still, he wasn’t a self-made man climbing to success, but rather a man of faith who prayed and trusted God to take care of the results.

Lord, please give me the courage to take the initiative on tasks You want me to do, not forgetting to pray over them.

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