Read Nehemiah 1:11 NLT “O Lord, please hear my prayer! Listen to the prayers of those of us who delight in honoring you. Please grant me success today by making the king favorable to me. Put it into his heart to be kind to me.”
In those days I was the king’s cup-bearer.
Oftentimes we question whether or not God can truly use us or if we can actually have any real impact. We are just ordinary everyday people going about our lives. As we ponder this tendency in ourselves, let me introduce Nehemiah.
Nehemiah was not a priest like Ezra or a prophet like Malachi, both of whom served God in those capacities during Nehemiah’s life. As a matter of fact, Nehemiah was in the service of the king of Persia, as his cup-bearer. An important role of distinction and trust because he was responsible for ensuring the king’s wine was not poisoned but not a religiously significant role. Nehemiah was just an ordinary guy doing the job assigned to him.
There is something about him that makes a difference however, Nehemiah loves God, loves God’s people, loves the city God had chosen (Jerusalem), and is heartbroken when he learns of the poor condition Jerusalem and its people are in. So this ordinary, everyday cup-bearer does something about it. This week we will take a closer look at how one man can make an impact for the kingdom of God by utilizing the opportunities provided to him, and by getting to work to do something that just needs to get done.
Pray: Our Father in Heaven, we echo the words of Nehemiah. Please hear our prayer as we too delight in honoring you. Grant us success in serving You wherever we find ourselves this week. Forgive us for the times we struggle to understand how You delight in using ordinary everyday people. Help us to accept that we too can make a difference whether we’re officially a part of ministry or not. In our homes, our schools, our places of work and our communities, we want to get to work for You. Soften our hearts that we may hurt for what hurts Your heart. Make our opportunities favorable for success and all for Your glory. We ask You this in Jesus’ name, amen.
