A Broken Heart
Week 3: Leap Together
When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven. -- Nehemiah 1:4-7
When we first meet him, Nehemiah is cupbearer to the King. The cupbearer’s vital function put him frequently in close proximity to the king (i.e., every meal), and he often became one of the king’s trusted advisors. While Nehemiah was in his role as cupbearer, his brother came to visit him. When Nehemiah asks him how things are going back in Jerusalem (the Jewish Promised Land), his brother’s answer, which is that Jerusalem is in a sorry state, breaks his heart.
The condition of Jerusalem troubled Nehemiah’s heart. What breaks your heart? The situations and problems in the world that break your heart are often the very things that God wants you to take on. In Mark 6:34 we see what moved Jesus, “when Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd.” When Jesus was moved in his heart he followed in action. We see in Mark 6:34 that he stayed with the people and "began teaching them many things." The book Nehemiah tells the story of how Nehemiah was moved to action.
Your Leap:
Read Nehemiah 1 Spend time praying and asking God to give you a broken heart and prepare you for the adventure to which He is calling you.
No comments:
Post a Comment