Day 3 of 6 — Pioneering Faith. About 3 minutes.
Then said I unto them, Ye see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lieth waste, and the gates thereof are burned with fire: come, and let us build up the wall of Jerusalem, that we be no more a reproach.
Nehemiah 2:17
Nehemiah knew how to wait.
About four months passed between the time he first heard about Jerusalem and the opportunity God gave him to speak with the king.
During those months Nehemiah prayed.
But he also prepared.
By the time the king asked what he wanted, Nehemiah knew what to say. He asked for permission to go to Jerusalem. He asked for letters that would give him safe passage. He asked for timber from the king’s forest.
Nehemiah had been waiting on God, but waiting on God did not mean doing nothing.
There eventually came a moment when it was time to move.
That is an important part of faith.
Sometimes faith waits.
Sometimes faith moves.
Mature faith learns the difference.
We can sometimes make prayer an excuse for postponing something God has already made clear.
I’m praying about serving.
I’m praying about talking to that person.
I’m praying about beginning discipleship.
I’m praying about taking that next step.
Prayer matters. Nehemiah certainly prayed.
But there came a day when Nehemiah stopped only praying about the wall and said, Come, and let us build.
Faith moved from burden to action.
And notice that Nehemiah’s preparation did not show a lack of faith. His planning was part of his stewardship.
Faith and planning are not enemies.
Nehemiah prayed like he needed God, and he prepared like his responsibility mattered.
We should do the same.
If God has burdened you to teach, prepare.
If He has burdened you to reach someone, pray for an opportunity and think about how you can reach them.
If He has burdened you to serve, find where you can begin.
Do not run ahead of God.
But do not use waiting as an excuse to stand still after God has opened the door.
There is a time to pray.
There is a time to prepare.
And sometimes there comes a moment when God makes it clear that it is time to build.
Growth principle: Faith knows when to wait on God, but it is also willing to move when God opens the door.
Take it with you: What is one step you have been praying about that God may already have made clear? Take one practical step of obedience toward it today.
Pause and pray: Lord, give me wisdom to know when to wait and courage to know when to move. Help me prepare faithfully and obey quickly when You open the door. Amen.
From Sunday’s message: Faith That Attempts Something Greater (Nehemiah 1-2)
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