I’d like us to dwell another day on this wonderful moment in Nehemiah chapter 2. It was remarkable enough, as I said yesterday, that king Artaxerxes would address Nehemiah his cupbearer and show concern for him as he did. The other courtiers would have been quite staggered by this anomaly in the king’s behaviour. But now the king asks Nehemiah what he wants and then agrees. And if this were not enough Nehemiah speaks further and boldly adds to his request. He asks for a letter of safe passage and for the materials to rebuild the gates of the city! The courtiers would have been expecting a death sentence. How was it that Nehemiah was so bold? Nehemiah saw that God was answering his prayers; he saw God making a way, so he boldly stepped into the way that God had prepared. He saw that God was causing the king to show great favour to him and there was no reason for him to doubt that he could take this further. If you pray for God to make a way forwards, you must then be prepared to recognise it and act on it when he does. It is one thing to have faith to pray, and another to have the faith to receive what you prayed for. If you pray, for example, for someone to come to know Christ, be prepared then to speak boldly when he opens the opportunity for you to share your faith with them. Don’t be pushy or brash, just be peacefully and gently confident in what God is doing.
Ask God for opportunities to share your faith with others.
Read Nehemiah 2:1-10 again
