“And I arose in the night, I and some few men with me; neither (not) told I any man what my God had put in my heart to do at Jerusalem: neither (not) was there any beast (animal) with me, save (only) the beast that I rode upon.” – Nehemiah 2:12
I know people who say they love the deaf and want to help them. But when the work gets hard, they disappear. I remember one man who told me he was quitting the deaf work, “Because it was not blessing me any more.” (But we should GIVE the blessing to OTHERS.) This man and others like him do not have a heart for the ministry.
One man in the Bible who had a heart for the work was Nehemiah. He is a very good example of what it means to have a heart for the work.
- He was burdened for the work (Neh 1 & 2).
When Nehemiah heard of the condition of Jerusalem, he was burdened for his people. He showed his burden in several different ways:
A. He Wept (Cried) Neh 1:4
B. He Mourned (Sad) Neh 1:4
C. He Fasted (No food) Neh 1:4
D. He Prayed Neh 1:4
E. He prayed for his needs and his own safety Neh 2:4
F. He requested the things he needed (He was prepared.) Neh 2:5-8
Sometimes people hear of a need, but they do nothing. They may be interested, but that is all. Nehemiah was more than interested. The needs of the people touched his heart so that he reacted with a broken heart for the needs of others. The needs of other people touched his heart. He cried, fasted, mourned, prayed, and prepared to go. - Nehemiah went to the work Neh 2:9-20
Nehemiah did more than just cry, he went to the work. He put the needs of others into action. He did something.
More Next Time…
