​What Stirs You?

Nehemiah asked Hanani about the Jews who had returned there from captivity and about how things were going in Jerusalem. He said to him, “Things are not going well for those who returned to the province of Judah. They are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem has been torn down, and the gates have been destroyed by fire.”  When he heard this, he sat down and wept. In fact, for days he mourned, fasted, and prayed to the God of heaven. 
Nehemiah 1:2-4
 
Have you ever heard the saying, “what you don’t know can’t hurt you?” Have you ever said that or felt similar to that about a particular topic or person? I think it is a pretty common feeling because usually information brings obligation. We usually don’t want to know because the knowledge will usually require something from us, some kind of action and it is just much easier to now act and therefore, not know. We like easy, so not knowing is often easier. But, Nehemiah wasn’t afraid of hard, it's why he asked. 

The information he gained with that question moved him to tears and to prayer. He knew something needed to change he just didn’t know how it was going to happen. So, he turned to God. In the prayer that follows we get a glimpse of his understanding of God and perhaps some courage to gain some knowledge ourselves.

Nehemiah knew that what bothered him, bothered God too. He wasn’t alone feeling like this should be, the city shouldn’t lay in ruin and the people shouldn’t continue to live in shame. It broke his heart and he knew it broke God’s too. We need to hear that – what bothers you, bothers God too. What moves you to tears and prayer, moves God. You are not alone.

He also knew that God was in the business of forgiveness and restoration. God was all about fixing and restoring the broken. So, his ask and his desire were not far from God’s nature. He was right on track. When we ask for God to forgive, heal, and restore we are asking God to act in His nature. We are asking God to do what He already wants to do.  So, ask away!

Nehemiah also knew God would need an instrument to work with and he was willing to be just that. He didn’t know how since he wasn’t even living in Jerusalem and he was the king’s cupbearer, but he was willing if God would call him. Are you ready to be used by God in the area that stirs your heart? Just maybe, God is ready to use you. Don’t run from that stirring, take it to God and see where He leads you.

Pastor Matt