Nehemiah was the king’s cupbearer whose responsibilities included tasting the king’s wine to ensure it was not poisoned. Nehemiah would never have guessed it, but this role was a step towards a greater purpose. This is often the case, which is why we should never despise our present position. Where you are now could be a vital steppingstone for where God is leading you. The key to moving forward is being faithful in the present. Nehemiah recognised that there might be an opportunity here to draw king Artaxerxes’ attention to the plight of Jerusalem. Once the king found out that things were not going well there, he would likely do something about it since he had showed such extravagant favour to Ezra as we have seen. But a cupbearer was not permitted to initiate discussion with his king. To do so would mean certain death. Remember that even the queen herself risked death by approaching the king uninvited (Esther 4:11). So, Nehemiah prayed that he would find favour with Artaxerxes. There was no reason for a king to be concerned about whether a cupbearer looked sad, but that day the king addressed Nehemiah and showed concern for him. This would have been quite an anomaly. The other courtiers must have been very surprised. In this case, however, it was God at work in response to Nehemiah’s prayer. Prayer opens the way forward. God has made a path for us to walk in, but the path opens before us as we pray. We go forward in God’s purpose only as we pray forward.
Pray for your way forward.
Read Nehemiah 2:1-10
