Finding your place in God’s story

In the month of Nisan in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was brought for him, I took the wine and gave it to the king. I had not been sad in his presence before, so the king asked me, “Why does your face look so sad when you are not ill? This can be nothing but sadness of heart.”

I was very much afraid, but I said to the king, “May the king live forever! Why should my face not look sad when the city where my ancestors are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?”

The king said to me, “What is it you want?”

Then I prayed to the God of heaven, and I answered the king, “If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favour in his sight, let him send me to the city in Judah where my ancestors are buried so that I can rebuild it.”

Then the king, with the queen sitting beside him, asked me, “How long will your journey take, and when will you get back?” It pleased the king to send me; so I set a time.

I also said to him, “If it pleases the king, may I have letters to the governors of Trans-Euphrates, so that they will provide me safe-conduct until I arrive in Judah? And may I have a letter to Asaph, keeper of the royal park, so he will give me timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel by the temple and for the city wall and for the residence I will occupy?” And because the gracious hand of my God was on me, the king granted my requests. So I went to the governors of Trans-Euphrates and gave them the king’s letters. The king had also sent army officers and cavalry with me.   Nehemiah 2:1-9

Some thoughts on this story…..

According to the Bible Guide (Andrew Knowles) that I use, this scene takes place several months after Nehemiah hears the bad news from Jerusalem in chapter 1. Several months of mourning, praying and waiting. Waiting is hard. If we are upset by something, our natural reaction is to want to fix it as quickly as possible. We are not comfortable sitting with our grief, or the suffering of others. We want to force God’s hand. But sometimes we have to wait for the right time. The right opportunity.

Nehemiah looking sad in the presence of the king is significant. It is a punishable offence to appear sad before the king. That’s why he’s so afraid when the king asks him what’s wrong. We’re often afraid to let others see our true feelings. ‘How are you?’ ‘Fine.’ Really? Are you really fine? Sometimes it’s OK to be honest and let people see how you really feel. It makes you vulnerable, yes, because it allows people to see the real you, but it is a risk worth taking. We cannot always put on a brave face.

Before he answers the king, he prays to God for help. Think before you speak. Yes. But praying before you speak is one step better. In some situations, the right words are so important. And yet so hard to find. Take a moment before opening your mouth. Ask God to speak through you.

So Nehemiah is honest. He basically says it’s the king’s fault that he is sad, by creating exiles and destroying Jerusalem. He reminds the king that he is different. That he has a loyalty to a different place and a different people. Risky. But by working hard and faithfully for the king all this time, he has earned the right to speak up. The king will listen and forgive his impertinence and forthrightness, because of who he has proved himself to be in the time leading up to this. That’s why it’s so important to give of our best and be the best we can be in every situation, however insignificant – because we never know when that situation will gain significance.

Nehemiah is a cupbearer. How does he think he is going to rebuild Jerusalem? And yet these are the words that God has given him to say. Who does he think he is? A servant of God. A servant who has been willing to get involved from the moment he found out about the situation.

When it looks like the king is going to agree, Nehemiah boldly asks for more detailed help. He’s obviously thought this through. He knows exactly what he will need to achieve this goal. Safe travel. Timber.

God is with Nehemiah. This is God’s plan, not Nehemiah’s. God is using another man, the most unlikely of men, to support Nehemiah in this work. God’s support and resources come from the most unlikely of sources at times. He’s the God of surprises. He can work through anyone and any situation.

It’s not up to us to take God into a situation. He is already there. It’s not up to us to invite God to work in a situation. He is already is at work. We just have to open our eyes to see Him, our ears to hear Him, our hearts to feel His presence. And then offer to join in.

It’s all about finding your place in God’s story.

Where do you fit in?

What is your role?

So today, go out into the world and may the God who sends you and is there to greet you give you the words and the courage and the peace that you need.

Amen.