Nehemiah 2:1-3 – Waiting for God’s critical moment

It is one thing to pray and quite another to wait for God’s moment. In chapter 1, we learned that Nehemiah prayed from the moment he heard of the plight of Jerusalem from Hanani in the month of Kislev. Four precious months had passed between Kislev, the ninth month in the Hebrew calendar, and Nisan, the first month. Here once again, we establish that while it is important to pray with urgency, we must also learn to wait on the Lord patiently as we offer our prayers. In prayer, we need to delight in the Lord, so that He will grant us the desires of our hearts. And between the time we bring our prayers to Him and the time He answers, we need to depend on Him. And in the meanwhile, we also allow Him to develop and get us ready for the movement to act. The duration varied with different ones. For Nehemiah, the moment came after four months.

The opportunity came four months later when he brought wine to the king. It is likely that this took place at a feast. Remember he was Artaxerxes cupbearer. For the past months when he was serving, he put up his best before the king. He did not appear sad. He did not allow his concern for Jerusalem to affect his duty to the king. In much the same way, our concern for God’s Kingdom should not affect our secular duties. If there is anything, we must give our best to our work to reflect the character of the kingdom's people. Disciples of Christ must always seek to demonstrate the fruit of the Spirit. We must be seen to be people who are loving, joyful, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle, and self-controlled.    

On that occasion, Nehemiah’s concern overwhelmed him. It was reflected on his face and the king noticed it.  It was a dangerous thing, that’s why he was afraid. It could be misread by the king as a plot or an impending coup. For that, he could have been taken to task. However, his usual disposition must have mitigated the situation. Instead of being suspicious, the king showed understanding. That presented an opportunity for him to explain his concern. His opening words, “Let the king live forever” were calculated to assure the king that there was no plot against him. Then having assured the king he then explain why he was sad. His reason was, “Why should my face not be sad when the city, the place of my fathers’ tombs, lies desolate and its gates have been consumed by fire?” He answered the king with a rhetorical question. As a concerned Jew, it was logical for him to be affected by what was happening to his homeland, especially the beloved Jerusalem.  

God has a schedule and plan for His people. He will make all things beautiful in His time. God’s delay should not be interpreted as His denial. Remember the delight, dependent and developmental factors. We must delight ourselves in the Lord and He will grant us the desires of our hearts. We must depend on Him more and more to build trust in Him. And we must allow Him to develop in us the character and be ready for the moment. In the interim, we must continue to do and be our best for His glory.