By Pastor Greg
Centuries ago, the King of Bavaria grew weary of court life. He had grown so tired of all the politics and lies and bureaucracy that he was willing to even join a monastery, no matter how strict or demanding it might be. So he approached the Prior at the local monastery and said "I'm tired of being a king. I want to become a Monk". The head Monk gave the king all the strict rules he would have to follow in order to join the order, yet the king still agreed. But before the king was allowed to join, the Prior insisted that the king agree to be obedient, not just to the rules of the monastery but to any command or directive the Prior may give. Still the King agreed. He would follow whatever the Prior might command. What’s interesting is that history books record that Prior Richard told King Henry to "go back to your throne and do your duty in the station God has assigned you". And King Henry II did just that. But this time, out of obedience to God, he ruled as one of Europe's most godly kings; becoming a Saint in the Catholic Church in 1146 BC.
Apparently King Henry had no idea that it just might be God’s will for him to stay a king, especially during such troubling times. And yet by being a king submitted to God, Henry was able to impact countless lives in the name of God.
Discerning God's will for our lives can be a tricky thing. Just like King Henry, God might want us to stay right where we are and allow the Father to work through us in that place. Other times we might be facing a difficult situation or perhaps feel stuck in a job that doesn't seem to make sense. We feel trapped; outside of God’s will. But for those who are willing to be obedient to God, that situation we are dealing with, or the place we feel stuck might be God's way of preparing us for the day He does call. I know this seems a bit far-fetched, but it is the truth. What we are dealing with today could be God’s way of preparing us for something tomorrow. This is exactly what happened to a man named Nehemiah.
Nehemiah lived around 444 BC. He was a Jew living in Persia (Modern - day southern Iran). He ended up in Persia because of the Babylonian captivity of 597 BC. And although the Jews were freed when the Persian Empire defeated Babylon, not all Jews traveled back to Jerusalem. Some stayed behind for various reasons that we will never know. Like Esther and Mordeci, Nehemiah's family chose to stay in Persia. But even though Nehemiah would have been born a Jew living in Persia, he still called Jerusalem home. Oh, he had a job and a place to live in Persia. He was wealthy and had servants. He had a life. But it's apparent from his reaction to some devastating news that in his heart he was still a Jew (read Nehemiah 1:1-11).
The problem facing the Jews back in Jerusalem was that Gentiles and Samaritans living near the city were making things difficult. They discouraged the Jewish people. They turned the Persian Kings against the Jews. “Then the local residents tried to discourage and frighten the people of Judah to keep them from their work. They bribed agents to work against them and to frustrate their plans. This went on during the entire reign of King Cyrus of Persia and lasted until King Darius of Persia took the throne. Years later when Xerxes began his reign, the enemies of Judah wrote a letter of accusation against the people of Judah and Jerusalem. Even later, during the reign of King Artaxerxes of Persia, the enemies of Judah, led by Bishlam, Mithredath, and Tabeel, sent a letter to Artaxerxes in the Aramaic language, and it was translated for the king” (Ezra 4:4-7). What Judah needed was someone who could speak to the king and tell him the truth. They needed an inside man; someone the king trusted and respected. And that man was Nehemiah.
As Cupbearer to the king, Nehemiah would have been someone trustworthy; someone educated and with a good reputation. As Cupbearer he would have been responsible for tasting the wine before serving it to the king to be sure it was not poisoned. So Nehemiah had frequent access to the king. Perhaps he was even aware of the letters written by the enemies of Judah (Ezra 4:7).
What stands out in all of this is that Nehemiah didn’t simply shrug off the news he received about Jerusalem. He didn’t simply pray that God would step in and help in some way. In Nehemiah’s prayer I hear a man who began to realize that God had been preparing him all along for this special task. Nehemiah was in the palace, close to the king, was able to watch and learn for one specific reason; God was preparing him to be the one who would step in and intercede for the people. And Nehemiah knew that God was calling him to a whole different type of service. He knew this because his heart began to break. It wasn’t that someone should do something. It was that Nehemiah needed to do something. And he spent four months making prayerful preparations.
I suspect some of you wonder about your own life. Why has God asked you to endure something? Perhaps you feel lost or trapped in a meaningless situation or a pointless job. Perhaps you feel that what is happening in your life right now is completely outside of God’s will. And yet I wonder if what you might be facing today is God’s way of preparing you for His calling tomorrow. I’m not sure, but it’s possible Nehemiah felt this way. In the grand scheme of heaven, what difference was he making by testing the wine for the King of Persia? And yet God had placed him there for one specific reason; that he may gain the kings trust and the kings blessing to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.
I suspect there are some of you who, like Nehemiah, are struggling with getting involved. He is breaking your heart. He has shown you something that needs to be done. He has called you to service, only, something is holding you back. Nehemiah heard the news, and his heart began to break. He had to do something. He had to get involved. But still he spent four months praying before he approached the king. Nehemiah knew that to move forward with this, he had to take a risk and make a change in his life in order to be obedient to God’s calling. So let me encourage you that timing is just as important as calling. Just make sure that when God says “Go” you are ready to be obedient.
Like Nehemiah we all live in unique situations that at times seem far removed from God’s will. What we do or what we are experiencing seems insignificant in the Kingdom of God. But it has been my observation that often what we experience today is preparation for God’s call tomorrow. And it is the obedient disciple who is ready to use that experience for the glory of God. Will you will be obedient to His calling when it comes?
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