Dear Friends, Hope all is well with you. We are still in India after wrapping up with a 10 day mission’s trip along with Fellowship Bible Church.
I really miss Tennessee and hope to return back as quickly as we can. We are still waiting on my husband's visa approval and my request is that all of you will pray for an expedited approval from the US Immigration so that we can come home soon.
This is the first time ever when I came to India; I wanted to leave to come home soon. As so many thoughts keep bombarding my head, God has been speaking to me continually through the book of Nehemiah.
I read somewhere from the internet that someone called him KNEE-HIGH-MIAH!
A man on his knees!
Yesterday, God gave me and Jordan, the opportunity to spend a night with my sweet Mom and Dad. I enjoyed every minute I spent with them. Seeing both of them deteriorate in their health only makes me weep.
Whenever I go to India, my heart’s desire is to cuddle up with my Mom, and while I was lying down in the bed with Mum yesterday, I said to her "Ma, when I get to heaven, I really want to meet Nehemiah"
Reading this book makes me feel how awesome our God is. There is a way to get our tasks accomplished like the way the great Nehemiah did.
Nehemiah is the last of the Old Testament historical books. It records the history of the third return to Jerusalem after captivity telling how the walls were rebuilt and the people were renewed in their faith.
In the book of Nehemiah, I see that the biggest problem or task is that the walls have to be rebuilt. Everyone must be gripping and complaining about the problem, they might be scrutinizing and discussing and talking about the problem but Nehemiah stepped in and did something about it.
Nehemiah saw the problem and he was distressed. Instead of complaining or wallowing in self-pity and grief, he just took action.
I am a total opposite to the characteristics of Nehemiah. When I have a problem, I complain, I scrutinize, I discuss with people, I talk about the problem to people before I speak to God and listen from him, I complain, I wallow in self-pity and grief and I seldom do something about it.
God has been speaking to my heart so much through this task oriented Nehemiah.
When a great task is about to be accomplished, the opposition will be mighty.
Nehemiah encountered so much opposition and he did not succumb to the threats and insults, false accusations from the opposition party. He met the opposition, confronted injustice and kept on going with the help of His great God until the walls were rebuilt. Nehemiah was a man of action and not just words.
The walls of the city remained unrepaired, leaving its people vulnerable and defenseless. In Chapter 1, while Nehemiah was in the fortress of Susa, Hanani one of his brothers came to visit with Nehemiah along with some other men who came from Judah.
The first thing Nehemiah enquires was about the Jews who returned from captivity and how things were going in Jerusalem.
What concern for his kith and kin and what concern for his country!!
The response from these men in Verse 3 "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".
What really impressed me in this chapter is that Nehemiah did not set up a meeting to discuss this matter with his friends or family or even with the men who just visited with him. He did not even call a friend like the way I do.
In verse 4, He sat down and wept. In fact, for days he mourned, fasted and prayed to the God of Heaven.
This is how Nehemiah prayed:
• "O Lord, God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps his covenant of unfailing love with those who love him and obey his commands, listen to my prayer!
He first worshipped the Lord God of Heaven, the God who keeps his covenant of unfailing love with only those who love and obey him.
• Look down and see me praying night and day for your people Israel.
• I confess that we have sinned against you, Yes, even my own family and I have sinned
• We have sinned terribly by not obeying the commands, the decrees and regulations you gave through your servant Moses
• Nehemiah is reminding God what he said to his servant Moses: If you are unfaithful to me, I will scatter you among the nations, But if you return and obey my commands and live by them, then even if you are exiled to the ends of the earth, I will bring you back to the place I have chosen for my name to be honored.
• O Lord, please hear my prayer! Listen to the prayers of those who delight in honoring you.
• Please grant me success today by making the king favorable to me
• Put it into his heart to be kind to me
If a normal cup-bearer, Nehemiah could pray this prayer what about you and I?
What is that unaccomplished task in front of you that you have been battling with?
I have been battling with so many issues lately. I confessed today to the Lord in shame that I did not pray like the way Nehemiah did. Listen to my prayer, O Lord!
Look down and see me praying night and day! I weep my eyes out when I am in distress in self-pity and grief. I learnt today that I need to weep before the Lord Night and Day to get answers.
Who is that Persian King you are seeking favor from? Is it your husband? Your boss?
Who is it? I have learnt today that I need to pray like Nehemiah: Please grant me success today by making the king favorable to me, put it into his heart to be kind to me.
You don’t put anything into your husband's heart to be kind to you. Pray for success from the Lord, pray to the Lord, your God to put the thoughts into your husband's heart to be kind to you.
If you listen and obey God's commands and live by his commands and just return to him wherever you are today, then even if you are exiled to the ends of the earth, He will bring you back to the place that He has chosen for you and I so that His name alone will be honored.
Heartfelt prayers like Nehemiah's can help clarify any problem you may be facing.
When God's people pray, difficult decisions fall into proper perspective, and appropriate actions follow.
What difficult decision needs to fall into proper perspective?
I have learnt a great deal today from Nehemiah and I thought this will bring some insight into your lives to intimately introspect your very own lives today and just fall down to your knees and just pray. Be action oriented!
I LOVE YOU ALL SO VERY MUCH
