4 The king said to me, “What is it you want?”
Then I prayed to the God of heaven,
Just this past Monday night we were having our Elder Board meeting and our pastor to a moment during the meeting and opened his bible and read this verse.
I would have never noticed it if he hadn't and I thought it was interesting that we were only days from reading it ourselves so I thought I'd share it today. He pointed out how he loved Nehemiah's instincts. The king asks him what he wants and before answering his first instinct is to go directly to God in prayer. What a great place to be that you are so connected to God that before speaking with your own minds words you check with God. That was just in Nehemiah's dna, he didn't even have to make a conscious action his instincts were to ask God for direction and knew that if he followed his instruction God would be with him.
I still use James 1:19 from our April 2012 reading, slow to speak quick to listen, very frequently at work and at home. But maybe I can throw in there slow to speak, instincts to ask God, quick to listen.
On the fasting I will fast with you beginning Tuesday night skipping supper and going through Wednesday. I will have my next meal at our kids Wednesday night fund raiser. we will overlap then much of the day, does that work?
knut
"slow to speak, instincts to ask God, quick to listen"
ReplyDeletePerfect! I"ve benn using that verse in my head as well. It seems to serve me well.
I'm also struck in this one, at how Nehemiah wasn't detered by the scale of the task. He felt God was asking him to do this......so, he did it. Nothing more.
Was he a trained contractor? I don't know. Probably not. Was he trained at fund raising? I don't know. Probably not. Was he a skillfull organinzer and people manager?...don't know. But, God asked him to rebuild....so, he did. He trusted that God would make it happen. At our church we often use the phrase, "are you stepping in out in faith, in such a way, that if God doesn't show up, you will fail?" That's a tough one, isn't it? To me, that's what Nehemiah did.
I don't do that very often. I sometimes feel nudging to do something in downtown Pontiac, or downtown Detroit.....but, then I think......that's WAY too big. I can't do that. I'm completely relying on myself for the task at hand, and not trusting that God will show up.
I will match your fast. Tuesday dinner to Wednesday dinner.
I want to be aligned. With this blog and our reading and our sharing.....I feel like we are a team in this. I want us to presenta united front of humbleness to God!
very awesome take and a great week!
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