I think the church could learn a lot from studying what the nation’s elite special forces in the military do prior to a mission. There is an incredible amount of reconnaissance done. There is defining the objective as well as developing the path to achieve that objective. There is also a studying of the enemy and any potential pitfalls that could jeopardize not only the mission, but also the lives of those carrying out the mission. If I have to sum it up in a sentence it would be this; preparation is the key to success. With that being said, there are specific ways that Christians should prepare themselves for the mission. The book of Nehemiah has always been one of my favorite books when it comes to studying biblical principles of leadership. Between Nehemiah and Joshua, there is a plethora of material on how to be a godly leader. What we will see in today’s text from Nehemiah is what comes after the preparation. Before we look at it, let’s get the back story.
Nehemiah was one of the Jews who was still living in Shushan after the Jews had been set free years before by decree of Cyrus the Persian. Nehemiah had risen in the king’s palace to a place of importance. At the end of chapter 1, Nehemiah says he was the king’s cupbearer. In those days, this was a very trusted position. One day Nehemiah had some visitors from Jerusalem. When he asked how things were back “home”, he got a sad report from them. It broke his heart, and led him to being praying and fasting for God’s wisdom. After some time, Nehemiah knew what God wanted him to do. There were still some obstacles, but as God always does, He took care of them so that His servant could obey him. After arriving at Jerusalem, Nehemiah took another three days to pray, and then one night he went out of walked where the walls were to be. Only after Nehemiah had a clear understanding of the mission, did he ever tell someone what God had put into his heart. This may have been because he didn’t fully know, or maybe he just wanted to have as many details as he could before telling people why he had come to Jerusalem. Either way, when Nehemiah started sharing why he was back, he began by telling others how good God had been to him. By doing this, Nehemiah was communicating to those, who may have been skeptical, that what he was about to tell them was truly from God. After doing this, we read in Nehemiah 2:18, “And I told them of the hand of God which had been good upon me, and also of the king’s words that he had spoken to me. So they said, ‘Let us rise up and build.’ Then they set their hands to this good work.” So, what are the lessons for us in this text?
I think the biggest lesson to take away is the power of God to move in the hearts not only of His children, but also in others. Nehemiah was a Jew, of course he wanted what was best for Jerusalem and his people. But God also moved in the heart of the king to allow one of his most trusted advisors to leave him for a time. Not only did the king approve this leave of absence, but he also made it possible for Nehemiah to get the supplies he would need to accomplish the task. These things don’t happen unless God is in it, and working through the situation. Another lesson is to pray more and speak less. Nehemiah was troubled by the report he received. Many of us, myself included, would have been more likely to want to jump up and start doing something. We would have wanted to rally people to a cause that we didn’t fully understand yet. However, Nehemiah spent time praying and fasting first. Fasting isn’t something that is talked about often in Christian circles anymore, but I believe it is a spiritual discipline that needs to be recovered. Fasting is a physical way of showing our spiritual dependence and desperation for God. By abstaining from food so that we can pray and read more; we are saying that being with God and hearing Him is more important than even the food we eat. The final lesson that I see is how God will build a coalition of the willing. When we have truly heard from God, and we are doing God’s work in God’s way, He will provide the necessary help. Our responsibility is to share who God is, and what He is saying with others. Then, trust that God will move in hearts to bring people around you to accomplish what God has called you to do. God didn’t just save you from sin, He saved you to Himself for a purpose (see Eph. 2:8-10). Do you know what it is? Are you doing it? If you don’t know what it is, spend time in prayer asking God. His kingdom is too important for us to sit on the sidelines or to be doing things that He hasn’t called us to do. And know that you won’t have to do it alone, God will be with you, and He will send others around you.
By His grace and for His glory,
Pastor Justin