Daily Devotional
How Nehemiah Dealt With Deep Sadness
Text: Nehemiah 2:5
“And I said unto the king, If it please the king, and if thy servant have found favour in thy sight, that thou wouldest send me unto Judah, unto the city of my fathers’ sepulchres, that I may build it.”
Message
Nehemiah infographically taught us how not to grief or remain in deep sadness. He points to how our grief and sadness will deepen our sense of loss and put us on the path of self-destruction and non-fulfillment of our purpose on earth.
Nehemiah preached we grief to a limit that is not continuous or so long enough as to damage us and our loved ones. Nehemiah encourages we to change our attitude.
Now, let me refresh your memory!
Nehemiah was the Persian king cup bearer. He was in a position of power, wealth, and affluence
When Nehemiah heard from Hanani a man from Judah, of the suffering, affliction and reproach of his Jewish brethren, the broken and burnt down walls of Jerusalem, and the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem, he cried, mourned, and became distressed and sad (Nehemiah 1:1-4).
From Nehemiah 1:4, “And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven,
Nehemiah 1:5 And said, I beseech thee, O LORD God of heaven, the great and terrible God, that keepeth covenant and mercy for them that love him and observe his commandments:
Nehemiah 1:6 Let thine ear now be attentive, and thine eyes open, that thou mayest hear the prayer of thy servant, which I pray before thee now, day and night, for the children of Israel thy servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel, which we have sinned against thee: both I and my father’s house have sinned.
Nehemiah 1:7 We have dealt very corruptly against thee, and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the judgments, which thou commandedst thy servant Moses.
Nehemiah 1:8 Remember, I beseech thee, the word that thou commandedst thy servant Moses, saying, If ye transgress, I will scatter you abroad among the nations:
Nehemiah 1:9 But if ye turn unto me, and keep my commandments, and do them; though there were of you cast out unto the uttermost part of the heaven, yet will I gather them from thence, and will bring them unto the place that I have chosen to set my name there.
Nehemiah 1:10 Now these are thy servants and thy people, whom thou hast redeemed by thy great power, and by thy strong hand.
Nehemiah 1:11 O LORD, I beseech thee, let now thine ear be attentive to the prayer of thy servant, and to the prayer of thy servants, who desire to fear thy name: and prosper, I pray thee, thy servant this day, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man. For I was the king’s cupbearer.”
In other words, Nehemiah did not end there sitting a broken vessel. He prayed to God and fasted. But the more he did all that the sadder he was.
Knowing no one would help him unless he helped himself by confronting the national disgrace, he confronted the issue by taking the step of going to the King with request for help, which was granted than he even had prayed.
Back in Jerusalem, he faced mockery and hostility by various interest groups. Undaunted, he proceeded to rebuild Jerusalem from its ruinous state with a gun in one hand and the other hand for mason work. That is educating the people who are on his side that not much is achieved by daily grief. Thus, Nehemiah completed his self given task in record time to the shame of his adversaries (Nehemiah 2-6).
A key to Nehemiah success is that he had enough to convince himself that he was on the right path in line with his purpose.
Nehemiah knew very well and you better do, that no one will be satisfied playing the same repetitive rhythm for hours on a gong without understanding the purpose behind it.
Also, he showed that hard times create strong men and women who, in turn, create good times.
Nehemiah did not let his deep sadness, grief, mockery by others, and frustration make him hopeless. Nehemiah attitude was, if I keep sad doing nothing, I can only go into depression, run into other mental conditions and problems, and die suddenly and untimely. So, he quit self guilt of collective shame, misplaced anger, and self-pity in the bad situation his nation experienced. He took action to salvage the situation (Nehemiah 1-6).
Truth is, God has heard and answered prayers, yet we must activate or press the necessary action button. We must excert our human muscles to access answered prayers.
God is not exactly moved by just our lonely sleepless night tears, self condemnation, pity and hoplessness, our burden of guilt or sin, and thought to end life commiting suicide, a self murder, which in itself a sin.
Certainly, God hands are moved when we encourage ourselves in him, go, overtake, and recover our lost grounds and much more than we lost.
In sum, God is moved by a faith in him backed by our work! It is a case of, show me your faith, and I will show you my work.
I am not God, but God needs you to forgive yourself to be healed and manifest. That done, you will be able to extend grace and mercy to others, even as that takes you to your state of manifold blessings.
Then are you able to say to the bad situation and sadness, including the human contributors to them, that “evil you intended against me, but God knew it for good.”
Choose this day to do good work which is your minimum acceptable service that pleases God: and the only way to this is your faith and work in line with your answer to the most difficult question in life, which is who’s will you will have done in your life? God, yours, others, or Satan?
In answer, lean not on your own understanding that has failed you all these while, and you know it!
Henceforth, commit your life and everything about you to God and trust him to deliver (Proverbs 3:5-7).
God’s plan is the best for you in big or little things and issues of life.
God has the big picture, and no good thing will he withhold from his children (Psalm 84:11).
You have been blessed to bless.
You are not created to be a burden. Instead, you have the shoulder to bear others’ burden with your living example of faith backed by work and not night cries, grief, self-pity, and sadness.
“Nothing, do you self and you no carry last!” So, quit being sad. There is light at the end of the tunnel.
The Breaking of your Day is now. The night and your wilderness experience is over.
The good hand of God is upon you and all over you from now on to the rest of your life on earth in Jesus’ name.
Say no and bye-bye to sadness.
Rejoice and be glad.
Jesus loves you, and no man born of a woman can change that!
Alleluia.