In Nehemiah 1, Nehemiah finds out Jerusalem is in disrepair. His response is to cry out to God. He doesn’t ask God, “Why?” He confesses his sin, and the sin of the people, and asks God to have mercy and to restore the people. He “reminds” God of His promise to restore the people when they cry out to Him. He doesn’t pray for a few minutes, or even an hour, but for days.
In Nehemiah 2, Nehemiah came before King Artaxerxes, and as he served the king wine, the king asked him why he was so sad? Without hesitation, even though he was filled with fear, Nehemiah told the king his sadness was from knowing the land of his ancestors lay in ruins and the Temple of his God as well. The king gave permission for Nehemiah to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the city walls as well as to rebuild the Temple. He also sent letters to those who controlled the region: Sanballat and Tobiah, not to interfere with the process. Even so, Sanballat and Tobiah were against the rebuilding process and from the outset jeered the idea that it would happen. Upon his arrival, Nehemiah assessed the situation, and cast a vision for the people to start the rebuilding process. This chapter gives us a brief summary of how much we do in Kingdom work takes place: First, God gives someone a vision for the work. Then God opens a door for the work. Next, opposition to the work arises. Then the one who received the vision shares the vision with others. At that moment the others must buy into the vision, and the process continues. Ongoing opposition to the work willcome, if it is truly God’s work, because our enemy, Satan, does not want God’s work to take place. As God’s people trust in Him, pursue the vision, and stand in the face of obstacles, the work moves forward.
In Nehemiah 3, we read about the repairing of the wall and gates surrounding Jerusalem. With extensive detail, Nehemiah records the names, occupations, and specific locations of those who repaired sections of the wall and which section was repaired. The repairs started with a priest and his family. We’re told at one point that a man and his sons and daughters participated in the repairs. We realize the significance of daughters being mentioned, because women’s names, and even presence was often left out of these lists. Nehemiah ensured these people and their families would be remembered every time his words were read. They were the people who trusted Nehemiah’s vision was from God and were willing to pursue it. Nehemiah believed the gate would be rebuilt. He “saw” it before it happened. Nehemiah was a believing is seeing kind of person. Thank God, many “saw” his vision, too. They also believed and started working. From my experience, some of the folks who are listed later, saw the actual walls and gates that had been completed. Then they believed and joined the work, too. They were the seeing is believing people. We always need both. Someone must believe before he or she sees, or the work won’t begin. Those who join in after they see the work, ensure the work continues and is completed.
As we return to Matthew 6, we find ourselves in the middle of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. While all the sermon is important and challenging, Matthew six offers us instruction regarding giving, prayer and fasting. Then it moves on to remind us of where we must store our treasure to gain God’s “return,” as well as how important it is to rely on God to provide for all our needs. The chapter concludes with Jesus’ command in 6:33 to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and the reminder as we do that everything we need will be added to that. Matthew 6:33, has long been the verse I have clung to as I have followed Jesus into unknown territory. As a pastor for more than thirty-four years, I have experienced many times personally and in the churches I have served where it seemed we would not have enough resource to provide for our needs. In those moments, I have returned to Matthew 6:33, and have remembered my task was to seek God’s Kingdom and His righteousness first, to call my family and the church family to do the same and to expect the need to be provided. God has always fulfilled His promise to provide. I have been amazed at the many different ways He has done so. At times, when the weekly offering was “$X,” we would receive a gift from one individual that was “$X.” In other words, one person would give an entire week’s offering. That person might never have given, or might have given generously before, but in that moment, he or she gave an entire week’s offering, just when we needed it. I hadn’t asked the person for it, although I had prayed to the LORD for the provision, and He chose to use that means. At other times in our personal life, God chose to provide through a gift from a family member or friend, or even through having the opportunity to officiate at a funeral, and receiving an honorarium that met the need. (I’m not saying God made the person die, so my family would receive the gift, but in the moment of need the gift came.) The bottom line is: put Jesus first. Soren Kierkegaard once wrote, “If you don’t seek first the Kingdom of God, you won’t seek the Kingdom of God.” How true. The moment we put anything before Jesus in our lives, He gets pushed aside whether momentarily or for a longer time. In that moment, we are in a dangerous place, a place where we are responsible to meet our own needs. Always remember: When Jesus and His Kingdom are first in our lives, Heis responsible to meet our needs. When He and His Kingdom are not first, weare responsible to meet our needs.