June 14

And the king granted them to me because the good hand of my God was on me. Nehemiah 2:8b.

It was my great privilege to hear a message from a missionary who explained the lessons that Nehemiah had learned. The lessons clearly applied to the life of the missionary as well. Without question those same lessons will apply to us.

Nehemiah, while serving the powerful king, Artaxerxes, had not pretended to hide his dismay over the ruin of Jerusalem. It had been destroyed and the people had been taken into captivity for about 70 years. At great risk Nehemiah explained his sorrow. He first prayed to the God of heaven (Nehemiah 2:4). The events that unfolded are an amazing revelation of the power of God, shown to those who have the faith to take steps toward what is needed to serve His purposes.

We are to be the same way. When we see a need, we are to take the risk of revealing the need to others. We are to pray to God, and speak and act in faith. There will be times that the task seems impossible, and opposition to our cause will seem so powerful. There will ample opportunity to question why we are doing this—either by friends or even by ourselves. We may become discouraged, but the Spirit of God will sustain us and bring us back to the task. The outcome will be one where everyone can see that Lord has been at work and He has deserved all the praise.

Dear Heavenly Father, let me see some open doors today where I may be of service—to You and to my fellow man. I know that I may appear foolish to the world, but with Your leading I will know that I am on the right path. Teach me courage and a steady desire to continue the task before me. Together we can accomplish wonders. Amen.
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