How do you respond to an impending crisis?
16 Jun 26
Today's devotional: taken from YouVersion, Devotions on F.I.R.E. Year One
Readings:
Nehemiah 1
Nehemiah 2
Nehemiah 3
Acts 2:1-13
Pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17).
How do you respond to an impending crisis?
Nehemiah is broken because his beloved city of Jerusalem lies in shambles. After hearing about its dire condition, he turns to the Lord “fasting and praying” (Nehemiah 1:4). This choice servant of the Lord regularly launches missile prayers. As a cupbearer, Nehemiah would be in a place of influence since he regularly tasted the king’s food to ensure it wasn’t poisoned. One day, Nehemiah appears before the king, exhibiting a sad countenance, which could result in his demise. After revealing to his sovereign the situation in Jerusalem, “Then the king said to me, ‘What do you request?’ So I prayed to the God of heaven” (Nehemiah 2:4). Again, he lifts up a rapid petition to the Lord that opens an amazing door for Nehemiah to return to Jerusalem. We should also remain in this posture of prayer.
Employment Point: Be ready to launch a missile prayer at all times.
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Reflections
“Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name. Give your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man.” I was cupbearer to the king.”Nehemiah 1:11 NIV
- In our prayers to the Lord, it is important that we revere Him and not sound like we are demanding things from Him. Prayers are like our daily conversation with our Father, and this father is one who holds great authority over heaven and earth. Even though we are known as God’s sons and daughters, we ought to also know our place and not cross boundaries.
“so the king asked me, “Why does your face look so sad when you are not ill? This can be nothing but sadness of heart.” I was very much afraid,”
Nehemiah 2:2 NIV
- It definitely would not be appropriate for the subjects to look sad in front of the king, even more so when he is serving him! However, instead of punishing Nehemiah, the king exercises grace and asked Nehemiah what was wrong.
- This is both a reminder and also a lesson to learn that when we see someone who serves and is nothing like their usual self, perhaps it is good for us to also check in them and not assume anything.
“The king said to me, “What is it you want?” Then I prayed to the God of heaven, and I answered the king, “If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favor in his sight, let him send me to the city in Judah where my ancestors are buried so that I can rebuild it.””Nehemiah 2:4-5 NIV
- Nehemiah is a prayerful men. He remembers to seek the Lord first before answering the king. This too, should be our attitude and our posture. To always seek and pray to the Lord before any discussion, meetings, etc.
“And may I have a letter to Asaph, keeper of the royal park, so he will give me timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel by the temple and for the city wall and for the residence I will occupy?” And because the gracious hand of my God was on me, the king granted my requests.”
Nehemiah 2:8 NIV
- this is a bold request and Nehemiah raise it up to the king and the king agreed. I guess in usual circumstances this may not have been approved since it concerns another city. But indeed, the Lord is gracious and has enabled the king to grant his request.
- We may not be sure if bold prayers may work but if the Lord wills it, nothing is too difficult for Him.
“But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official and Geshem the Arab heard about it, they mocked and ridiculed us. “What is this you are doing?” they asked. “Are you rebelling against the king?””Nehemiah 2:19 NIV
- There may be distractions, heresies when we embark on God’s work. We need to learn to focus only on what the Lord has placed in our hearts to do and ignore the rest. The enemy will for sure, not be happy about completion of any works related to the Lord. However, stand firm and do not waver. The Lord will be with us and bring it to fruition.
In Nehemiah 3, we saw how the different people come together for the common good-to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. It was not done by just one tribe or persons but done in sections by the various people coming together with the heart of repairing and restoring it. Such is the heart of God, bringing people together for one united purpose.
“When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken. Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language?”
Acts 2:6-8 NIV
- It was the day of Pentecost and everyone, Jews and gentiles alike, were given the same gift, they were all given the gifts of speaking in tongues. Something which only the natives may understand. This made the people to be in awe and also as witness to what they are seeing and hearing. And all these have to be from God.
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“Will You Lay Down Your Life?”
BY OSWALD CHAMBERS
June 16
Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends….I have called you friends… —John 15:13, 15
Jesus does not ask me to die for Him, but to lay down my life for Him. Peter said to the Lord, “I will lay down my life for Your sake,” and he meant it (John 13:37). He had a magnificent sense of the heroic. For us to be incapable of making this same statement Peter made would be a bad thing— our sense of duty is only fully realized through our sense of heroism. Has the Lord ever asked you, “Will you lay down your life for My sake?” (John 13:38). It is much easier to die than to lay down your life day in and day out with the sense of the high calling of God. We are not made for the bright-shining moments of life, but we have to walk in the light of them in our everyday ways. There was only one bright-shining moment in the life of Jesus, and that was on the Mount of Transfiguration. It was there that He emptied Himself of His glory for the second time, and then came down into the demon-possessed valley (seeMark 9:1-29). For thirty-three years Jesus laid down His life to do the will of His Father. “By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren” (1 John 3:16). Yet it is contrary to our human nature to do so.
If I am a friend of Jesus, I must deliberately and carefully lay down my life for Him. It is a difficult thing to do, and thank God that it is. Salvation is easy for us, because it cost God so much. But the exhibiting of salvation in my life is difficult. God saves a person, fills him with the Holy Spirit, and then says, in effect, “Now you work it out in your life, and be faithful to Me, even though the nature of everything around you is to cause you to be unfaithful.” And Jesus says to us, “…I have called you friends….” Remain faithful to your Friend, and remember that His honor is at stake in your bodily life.
WISDOM FROM OSWALD
We are not fundamentally free; external circumstances are not in our hands, they are in God’s hands, the one thing in which we are free is in our personal relationship to God. We are not responsible for the circumstances we are in, but we are responsible for the way we allow those circumstances to affect us; we can either allow them to get on top of us, or we can allow them to transform us into what God wants us to be.
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Reflections
The time when I sense that God was talking to me personally for the first time was really when I was a pre-believer. Going for medical missions in Batam for a few years and towards the end of the season, while we were all singing the anthem song during Sunday service (Here I am Lord). After numerous times of singing, that particular time was different. It felt like a question when I sang “I will go Lord, if You lead me.. I will hold Your people in my heart…” I felt He was asking me directly, do I meant what I say. I didn’t have to think very long. My answer was a yes straight away. Not even baptised yet.
Over time, I learned what it meant by laying down our lives. This is more than dying for Christ. It is the surrender of our everyday, our everything into His hands. This is not a one off declaration on baptism day. It is also not about attending church every week.
Our Father calls us children of God, co-heirs with Christ. Jesus himself also calls us friends / brethren. What then, is our attitude towards Him and our Father? They gave us everything, cleanse us of all unrighteousness and help give us a fresh start. What are we doing to love Christ and to love our Abba Father?
When we say Yes to the Lord, it is also about taking up the cross to follow Him. The cross is our everything. It says much about our own relationship with Christ. How far we go, how long we rest, all depends on us. We all know this is a forward journey but there will be some who walked backwards. The Lord never gave up and will always keep His arms open to receive anyone who comes running back.
This is no longer us that is living but Christ who lives in us. It is the Holy Spirit’s leading that helps turned us to be more Christ-like, day after day. To help us to learn how to walk this journey so that we can help point others to Him. Yes to Him and not ourselves. May we continue to persevere and run this race that is set out for us.
Let’s pray:
Dear Abba Father, we are grateful to known as sons and daughters of the Lord God Almighty. Help to refine us as one and shape our characters so that people will get to know Jesus through us. May His light shine through us as we bring Him the glory. All praise and thanks be to You O Lord. In Jesus’s name we ask and pray. Amen 🙏🏻
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