Ne 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:
Ne 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.
There is nothing quite like a mother hearing bad news about
one of her children. For some reason, we pretty much take the whole matter
personally like it was an attack on us directly, don’t we? We feel responsible
to some degree, and yet know that our children are growing up and will make
mistakes. In our Christian school most of the time, it is the same. We deal with all kinds of problems but when
there are multiple adults involved in a child’s life, there is confusion for the
child. It isn’t their fault that mom and dad have separated, divorced, or
whatever, but many of the precious ones feel the pain and bring it with them to
school looking for someone to listen, to help, to guide and to pray. We must be
equipped in the Word of God or else we cannot give them the proper care for
that crucial moment in their lives.
Nehemiah felt the need to intercede on behalf of God’s
people. Did you get that? GOD’S PEOPLE. Our Heavenly Father has already
revealed the consequences of sin and now, His children are facing those
consequences. SOMEONE MUST ALWAYS INTERCEDE! How far and how long are you
willing and able (prepared) to intercede for your own children? I fear for this
generation of children simply because their parents and loved ones will not
intercede on their behalf. It makes a difference folks, it makes a difference.
You and I must be willing to go the jaws of death, AGAIN, if necessary for our
loved ones especially those for whom we have given birth.
This great man of God, Nehemiah, sat down, cried and mourned
for days. Their distress became his urgent concern. He received it willingly but it ripped
his heart out. You know the feeling. You receive the news, fall in the chair or
on the floor, cry out to God, weep and wallow for a while and finally get up
with a plan, somewhat. Your eyes are swollen, your body aches, but you push
through with all your might. You have gotten a hold of God! Afterwards, Nehemiah got up and put his prayers to
action.
Ne 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.
You get your Bible out, and open the mouth of God, waiting
on Him to give you the next step but while you wait, you remind Him of what He
has already said. The Word brings comfort, somewhat, because you know God
cannot lie. Your whole gut rests in Him…..plain and simple…….but complicated
and difficult. You can do this! SOMEBODY MUST ALWAYS INTERCEDE.
I faced a complicated matter in our family and after falling
to my knees, weeping, wallowing for a while, told God that I would fast and
pray for as long as it took for Him to intervene on our behalf. In my mind I
planned 14 days to fast. There was no
magic in 14; it was between God and me. No one knew of my decision but my
husband. I had to hear from God and
stayed in His face looking Him in the eyes day and night. I died to myself
during those days but it was important for me to “push through” for as long as
God gave me strength to do it. I was
ready to die, literally. On the 13th day of my fast, God intervened
in a miraculous way. I cannot reveal the details of course, and it doesn’t
matter when it is your own family. Details are frivolous in times of despair.
You and I as God’s women must be willing to do whatever it takes to get a hold
of God. WHATEVER! May I encourage you to NOT give up, until God says, “I’m here
and I will now take charge.” Sometimes, God answers before the whisper of your voice leaves your heart, but there are other times, when fasting and prayer are needed. Do what you have to do!
Nehemiah was extraordinary, and so must we as God directs us
to seek His face, grab His ear, and open His mouth, THIS TREMENDOUS POWERFUL
WORD OF GOD.
“Lord, I don’t know if I can make it but by your STRENGTH I
have been promised to make it.”
Until next time, Lord willing…
Sharon
I'm catching up on reading these since I normally read them at school. One of the best Scriptures you guys have posted yet. Don't stop. Don't run. Trust and sit still.
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