June 5 Devotion: Having God’s Hand on the Situation

Nehemiah 1:11 O Lord, I beseech thee, let now thine ear be attentive to the prayer of thy servant, and to the prayer of thy servants, who desire to fear thy name: and prosper, I pray thee, thy servant this day, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man. For I was the king's cupbearer.

         Nehemiah had received word that the wall of Jerusalem was “broken down, and the gates thereof are burned with fire.” (Nehemiah 1:3) He was deeply burdened over the plight of his city and the remnant that was there. But there would be much that had to change in his situation if he could ever be used to bring about a change in the situation there in his hometown. He was a captive in a foreign land and the king’s cupbearer. He did not have freedom of movement, nor did he have the supplies needed to repair the wall in Jerusalem. His burden was strong but his potential for success seemed very low. So, he fervently appealed to the only source that could change his situation. He petitioned the Lord to intervene and to use him to bring about a change in the condition of the city.

         There are times when it seems that what needs to be done and what it would take to meet the needs of the undertaking are impossible to see how it could ever come to pass. The situation is too difficult. The circumstances dictate an assured failure. But there is a God in heaven, who sits on his sovereign throne, who has all power, and who is “able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think”. (Ephesians 3:20) There is a God who can make the impossible possible. When God’s hand of providence moves on a situation, things change. The outlook for success goes from unlikely to done. Nehemiah’s situation seemed impossible, but God made the difference. Not only did this heathen king let captive Nehemiah return to his homeland, but he supplied the necessary materials for the wall of Jerusalem to be rebuilt. You can’t look at this story and not see how God wrought a miracle. There was no way that it could happen like it did, but God can overcome the “no ways” in our life. He is the way. Let us put our faith in the one who can do what no one else can do.

In Christ's Service,

Bro. Adrian Moore

2 Cor. 4:5