Tuesday, September 9: Nehemiah 1- A broken heart.

God moves people to action in various ways. In Nehemiah’s case God broke his heart.

Nehemiah’s heart longed for his people and his city Jerusalem. As a man of the Word, he understood the exile as God’s punishment for sin. He also knew God would receive back after a time of punishment, so he kept himself informed about how the returning remnant was doing in Jerusalem.

The day came when his heart broke… When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven (4). Through prayer God unleashed a servant, the right person at the right time.

One of the ways God prepares us for action is when our heart breaks for the things that break God’s heart.

The heart of a Christ-follower broken over an injustice, broken for a people-group, broken for the lost, is a powerful tool in the hands of Almighty God.

In Nehemiah’s case, his broken heart led him to a first action of prayer and fasting. It occurs to me that there is great wisdom here. Rather than jumping in with all the strength he could muster, Nehemiah prays. And from this position of humility and submission God gives both an assignment and empowerment for the assignment. No longer will Nehemiah be operating in his strength. Now he has the strength and wisdom of God to attend to the issue of Jerusalem and His people.

A heart broken with the things that break the heart of God, plus humility to go first to God for wisdom and strength, is a MOST powerful tool in the hand of God.

Is your heart breaking??

Lord, break my heart… break me with the things that break Your heart. But also, Lord, break me. Break me lest I think I can do something about the problem. Break me so that I realize that only in You will I be able to act in a way that affects the problem in a God honoring manner and for a God honoring result.

Break my heart, Oh God, and break me in the process, I pray through Christ, my Lord. Amen.