Monday, September 17, 2018

What's Your Thing?





God often orchestrates timing, place, position, abilities, passions and need in order to serve Him and to make a difference. When we discover our “thing”, it can be used to demonstrate our love for God, grow in our faith, serve others, and make a difference (both now and for eternity).  So, what’s your thing?

Nehemiah 2:2-3  - 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?”

Things to think about:
·      If you’re not very familiar with Nehemiah, you may think he was one of the great priests or prophets from the Old Testament. In fact, he was a pretty regular guy, working as a government official, serving the king as a cupbearer.  I’m not sure how this would read on his LinkedIn profile but basically he first tasted anything the king might drink in case it had poison in it!
·      The Jews had started returning back to Judah after being in Babylonian captivity for seventy years.  Nehemiah was still back in Babylon working for the king.  One day he caught up with his brother and some other men who had been to Jerusalem and he asked then how things were going there.  They told him that the city wall was destroyed and that the people there were in danger.
o   Nehemiah 1:4 – When I heard these things I sat down and wept.
·      But he didn’t stop there drowning in his sorrow and the tragedy of the situation.  Instead, he PRAYED (Nehemiah 1:5-10)
o   Repented
o   Remembered
o   Requested
·      Then, he took a risk and stepped out in faith.  He went to his boss, the king, to ask for permission to go to Jerusalem and rebuild the wall.
·      Listen to his humanity here, “I was very much afraidbut 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 favor in his sight, let him send me to the city in Judah where my ancestors are buried so that I can rebuild it.”
o   Let’s not let fear keep us from going where God would lead us. 
o   In verse 2:6 it says “It pleased the king to send me.”
·      Do you know what your thing is?
o   If so, what is it?
o   How has God used timing, place, position, abilities, passion, and need?
o   How have you been changed?
o   How have you seen others changed as a result?
·      If you haven’t figured out what your thing is yet, do what Nehemiah did - learn about where there are needs and pray about your role in doing something about it.
o   Everyone has a thing!
o   It doesn’t mean you have to start a new ministry, maybe it’s coming alongside someone or something that is already engaged in a cause you care about
o   Let God’s Word guide you to bring His kingdom to your corner of the world



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