“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.”
Sometimes the problem we have can seem way too big for us to handle. Problems are like that, they seem to grow at alarming rates in our minds and we feed them much of our time and efforts. With this healthy diet of time and effort no wonder we see a giant before us that we cannot overcome.
Nehemiah had a problem. The Bible does not say that the Lord laid it upon the heart of Nehemiah to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. Like most problems we usually face them as they come. For Nehemiah, he asked about the condition of the remnant back home. The news was not very good, in fact it was really bad. Nehemiah went from a happy man to a man full of sorrow. So much so that the king even noticed his face and asked him what was wrong. Finding out about the problem we face can affect our countenance. It can wreck our day and when it grows, our lives are affected also. Nehemiah did something we should all do before we feed the monster, he prayed. The Bible says that he doubled down, prayed and fasted some days before he went to the king.
Instead of feeding the problem, Nehemiah went to the Lord first as we should also do. After the king notices that Nehemiah is not looking like his normal self, he asks him what is wrong. Nehemiah tells the king why he is so sad. With his homeland in shambles and with no protection he goes into reason why he is down. You don’t have to keep your issue all to yourself. When problems arise, get a friend or family member to pray with you. The king listens to Nehemiah and asks him, “What do you want?” (verse 4) He asks to go back home and rebuild the city of Jerusalem and also for the supplies needed to do so. The king, under the mighty hand of God, gives Nehemiah everything he asks for and more.
You would think things get easier from here but you would be wrong; it has only just begun. Satan will always try to derail the promises of the Lord. Don’t be naïve and think smooth sailing is in your future when the Lord answers your prayer as He did with Nehemiah. He was sure to face opposition and we will also. The “problem people,” Sanballat and Tobiah, came out of woodwork to derail things before they even begun.
Nehemiah gets to the city of Jerusalem and stays there for three days. At night he goes alone and surveys the conditions of the wall. He comes face to face with the problem. The same problem that has been on his mind for many days now. Instead of avoiding the issues, Nehemiah gets a firsthand look at what he is up against. When we face a problem in our own lives, we cannot stick our heads in the sand and pray the Lord will take it away. We must face the issue head on knowing the Lord is our strength and shield. Truthfully, this is where most of us crack. We lose it. The problem has been on our minds, and we finally have to face it. That person, your boss, your neighbor, that financial situation, and many more situations can put us in our safety box away from all the problems as we stick our head into sand avoiding it all.
After Nehemiah spends some time evaluating the problems, he tells his fellow countrymen in verse 17-18, “You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace.” I also told them about the gracious hand of my God on me and what the king had said to me. They replied, “Let us start rebuilding.” So they began this good work.”
It is amazing to see how mature Christians handle problems. They don’t freak out and lose their cool, no, they step out in faith and get to work. They step out on the promises of the word of God instead of paying too much attention the problem. The Bible says that faith without works is dead. Today, if you are facing a problem that is super huge to you, then you are in a great spot to step out in faith and give it to the Lord like Nehemiah did. He stood on the favor the Lord gave him and knew that His mighty hand was on this project. Facing his opposition he proclaims, “The God of heaven will give us success. We his servants will start rebuilding, but as for you, you have no share in Jerusalem or any claim or historic right to it.” Satan has no claim to your life or historic right to derail your life. You are a child of the living God and the power that raised Christ from the dead now lives in you. Your problem is not too big for God. Step out in faith and see the mighty hand of God you mighty warrior.
Let It Go 
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