Nehemiah had been born during Judah’s Medo-Persian captivity. Yet, God blessed Nehemiah. He was the king’s cupbearer—food-taster—a position of great responsibility, influence and trust. He was the king’s bodyguard, confidante and advisor. He lived in the king’s palace and was afforded many privileges and opportunities because of the nature of his service.
It reminds us that, if we rely on God and have a strong determination, we can succeed. We may be confronted by negative conditions, but how we respond to negative conditions defines and shapes our character.
We see God at work in Nehemiah’s life—not just for himself, but so that he can be a conduit of blessing for his people. When the opportunity arose for Judah to take a step toward restoration, God had positioned Nehemiah in just the right place to take advantage of the opportunity. He learned that the work in Jerusalem needed guidance and direction, and he was moved in his heart to do something to help his people. So, he went to the King and asked to lead in the rebuilding of the city’s walls.
Nehemiah desired to be a part of God’s plan. As the king’s cupbearer, he enjoyed a life of relative ease. He could have stayed where he was. But Nehemiah heard God’s call, and he was ready to respond.
Just like God had a plan for Nehemiah and Judah, God has a plan for us. But to be successful, we must be in the right position, and we must be in the right spiritual posture. God is ready to do something with us today, to raise us to another level. But we can’t be a part of God’s plan if we don’t do the work now to position ourselves for change.
God has an agenda for our lives. God has blessed us with talents and abilities to be used to fulfill His purpose. But when the time comes, we can’t be so entrenched in our way that we reject God’s direction. When God opens the door, then we must be ready to follow where God leads us.
(We invite your comments. Feel free to share this devotion with your friends and invite them to subscribe by forwarding their email address to the Pastor at: fredjeffsmith@gmail.com.)
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