When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven. Nehemiah 1:4 (NIV)
Understanding our purpose in life involves many decisions. The decision to follow Jesus stands as being most important.
But there are thousands of other decisions we make and it’s important to get the best guidance we can. At this time, Nehemiah was among those in captivity in Persia. He was serving on the staff to the king of Persia when received sad news that his homeland, Israel was mess; Jerusalem was in shambles; the temple was a wreck.
Nehemiah had political connections by virtue of his work and felt he needed to respond to the dire circumstances back home. Rather than spring into action, note that he sought the Lord through fasting and prayer. Then he approached the king.
The military culture is not known for long deliberation. We act. That’s what we’ve been conditioned to do.
Remember this. Though we may have marching orders in a general direction, they need to be updated and fine-tuned.
Don’t launch with action too soon. Seek the Lord’s counsel.
