Be the difference

How burdened are we for our families, neighbors, friends, communities, the nation, or the world?

How desperate are we for God?

Do we seek God, His wisdom, His strength, His Holiness, His grace, His companionship? Are we asking Him to do great works in us and around us, to continually change our hearts so we may see those around us as He does?

What could God do through us and in us if we seek Him and His strength, instead of trying to go this on our own?

Does our hearts desire to be drawn into a deeper relationship with Him and others? Is our desire to please God and see others come to His saving knowledge of grace?

Are we willing to surrender our own ambitions, our wills, maybe even our lives to see God advance His kingdom?

Nehemiah was such a man who could answer yes to these questions, he was captive in a foreign land, but his heart was burdened for God and his people.

Nehemiah prayed, he repented of his sins and his nation, he wept and was broken. God heard and answered him because Nehemiah was willing to do what God had planned for him.

Are we?

God’s word says this!

“Give thanks to the Lord; call on his name; proclaim his deeds among the peoples. Sing to him; sing praise to him; tell about all his wondrous works! Honor his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice. Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his face always. Remember the wondrous works he has done, his wonders, and the judgments he has pronounced,” 1 Chronicles‬ ‭16:8-12‬ ‭CSB‬‬

“I said, Lord, the God of the heavens, the great and awe-inspiring God who keeps His gracious covenant with those who love him and keep his commands, let your eyes be open and your ears be attentive to hear your servant’s prayer that I now pray to you day and night for your servants, the Israelites. I confess the sins we have committed against you. Both I and my father’s family have sinned. We have acted corruptly toward You and have not kept the commands, statutes, and ordinances you gave your servant Moses. Please remember what you commanded your servant Moses: “If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples. But if you return to me and carefully observe My commands, even though your exiles were banished to the farthest horizon, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place where I chose to have my name dwell.” They are your servants and your people. You redeemed them by your great power and strong hand. Please, Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant and to that of your servants who delight to revere your name. Give your servant success today, and grant him compassion in the presence of this man. At the time, I was the king’s cupbearer.”Nehemiah‬ ‭1:5-11‬ ‭CSB‬‬

“After I made an inspection, I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials, and the rest of the people, “Don’t be afraid of them. Remember the great and awe-inspiring Lord, and fight for your countrymen, your sons, and daughters, your wives and homes.” When our enemies heard that we knew their scheme and that God had frustrated it, every one of us returned to his own work on the wall. From that day on, half of my men did the work while the other half held spears, shields, bows, and armor. The officers supported all the people of Judah, who were rebuilding the wall. The laborers who carried the loads worked with one hand and held a weapon with the other. Each of the builders had his sword strapped around his waist while he was building, and the trumpeter was beside me. Then I said to the nobles, the officials, and the rest of the people: “The work is enormous and spread out, and we are separated far from one another along the wall. Wherever you hear the trumpet sound, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us!” Nehemiah‬ ‭4:14-20‬ ‭CSB‬‬

“You, Lord, are the only God. You created the heavens, the highest heavens with all their stars, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to all of them, and all the stars of heaven worship you. You, the Lord, are the God who chose Abram and brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans and changed his name to Abraham. You found his heart faithful in your sight and made a covenant with him to give the land of the Canaanites, Hethites, Amorites, Perizzites, Jebusites, and Girgashites — to give it to his descendants. You have fulfilled your promise, for you are righteous. You saw the oppression of our ancestors in Egypt and heard their cry at the Red Sea. You performed signs and wonders against Pharaoh, all his officials, and all the people of his land, for you knew how arrogantly they treated our ancestors. You made a name for Yourself that endures to this day. You divided the sea before them, and they crossed through it on dry ground. You hurled their pursuers into the depths like a stone into raging water. You led them with a pillar of cloud by day, and with a pillar of fire by night, to illuminate the way they should go. You came down on Mount Sinai, and spoke to them from heaven. You gave them impartial ordinances, reliable instructions, and good statutes and commands. You revealed your holy Sabbath to them, and gave them commands, statutes, and instruction through your servant Moses. You provided bread from heaven for their hunger; You brought them water from the rock for their thirst. You told them to go in and possess the land you had sworn to give them.”Nehemiah‬ ‭9:6-15‬ ‭CSB‬‬