Are you in a position of influence?
Are you in a position of power?
Are you in any position?
If you are, and we all are, learn from Nehemiah and Esther
that you have come into the kingdom of God for such a time as this.
And “What time is this?” you may ask.
The answer is that the time is determined by the needs
around you.
Nehemiah
Nehemiah heard that the Israelites were living in Great distress and shame and that the walls
of Jerusalem were broken down and her gates burned. (Nehemiah 1:3)
He heard this distressing news and saw that it was time to rebuild
the walls of Jerusalem and restore to God’s city and people the glory they had
lost.
He therefore begun to prepare for this great task by fasting
and praying. (Nehemiah 1:4)
After finishing his spiritual preparation, he used his
important position as the king’s cupbearer (Nehemiah 1:11), a person who tasted
all the food and wine before the king consumed it to ensure that it was not
poisoned, to ask for a Letter to be
written to Asaph the keeper of the king’s forest so that he would give Nehemiah
timber to make the citadel’s gates, the city wall as well as the house that he
would live in. (Nehemiah 2:8)
In addition to using his powerful position, Nehemiah also
used his personal wealth since he says, “When I was appointed as Governor
in Judah, from the 12th year to the 32nd year of King
Artaxexes’ reign, neither I nor my brother ate the governor’s provisions.” (Nehemiah
5:14)
He did not require the people to pay him the governor’s
salary because “The governors who were
before me had put heavy burdens on the people and took from them bread and wine
in addition to 40 shekels of silver. Yes, even their servants bore rule over
the people, but I did not do so because I feared God.” (Nehemiah 5:15)
His fear of God stopped him from demanding a salary from the
people because they were in dire financial straits for he says, I did not demand the governor’s provision,
because the bondage was heavy on the people. (Nehemiah 5:18)
In addition to not demanding a salary from the people who
were facing financial constraints, Nehemiah also used his personal resources to
do the work of the Lord for he says, “All
my servants were gathered there for the work of rebuilding the wall.” (Nehemiah 5:16)
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