Nehemiah 2:1 - 5
Anyone struggle with fear? Fear of what could happen? Fear over the conditions, both economically and culturally, in our country? Fear of new, unknown things? Fear for your children? Nehemiah has a word for us. You are going to sometimes feel fear. That is a given. We see his statement "I was very much afraid" in verse 2. Acknowledging your fear is not a bad thing. It is not a lack of faith. It is honest. I think it is wise to consider the reasons ... wise to try and identify the source of the fear. Only then can it be addressed. I assume that Nehemiah's fear came from the absolute power over his life and death that King Artaxerxes held in his hand. That is indeed a fearful thing! What makes Nehemiah stand out as one of our heroes of faith is found in the tiny word "but" that begins verse 3. In the face of his fear, Nehemiah still moved! He still said to this king what he needed to say. Remember that Nehemiah belonged to the people of God. He wanted to help his people in Jerusalem. I think he believed it to be the will of God. He was absolutely "prayed up" over the situation. He still felt fear.
I am intrigued by the way he began his statement. "May the king live forever!" That was the appropriate, culturally relevant way to begin any conversation with an eastern monarch. He did not bypass the relevant forms of communication for his time. We can learn from that ... being culturally relevant does matter. It allows communications to be "heard".
Notice in verse 4, when the king asked him what it was he wanted, the text tells us that Nehemiah "prayed to the God of heaven, and answered the king ..." It is all one sentence. I believe it indicates the heart of prayerfulness that was the heart of Nehemiah. There was no need to tell the king, "Let me get back to you on that one ... let me pray about it." Because he had already spent time in prayer over the matter. Therefore, it seems that this refers to an "arrow" prayer that connected all he had previously confessed and cried out before God to the moment. He was ready. I see two questions for us. First: Do I spend time with God in prayer so that I am ready when moments arise? Second: Is my heart so prayerfully atuned to God that any response from me echoes a heart that "prays continually" as Paul instructs in 1 Thessalonians 5:17?
As I think on these things ... how to respond to this day's lesson is not subtle! A more prayerful spirit. More time talking and listening to my God. Only then can I be ready to face my day ... even when fearful things appear on the scene!
What I found amazing about this day's reading was the statement that Nehemiah made "I had not been sad in his presence before." He was a servant in captivity away from his country, his temple, his culture. It seems to me that his attitude was the reason the king was willing to listen to his request. Can I say the same thing about my attitude? Yikes!
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