Caring and Compassion
– From Becoming A Fulfilled Father by Joyce Meyer
Nehemiah 1:2-11
that Hanani one of my brethren came with men from Judah; and I asked them concerning the Jews who had escaped, who had survived the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem. 3And they said to me, “The survivors who are left from the captivity in the province are there in great distress and reproach. The wall of Jerusalem is also broken down, and its gates are burned with fire.”
4So it was, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned for many days; I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven.
5And I said: “I pray, 4Lord God of heaven, O great and awesome God, You who keep Your covenant and mercy with those who love You and observe Your commandments, 6please let Your ear be attentive and Your eyes open, that You may hear the prayer of Your servant which I pray before You now, day and night, for the children of Israel Your servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel which we have sinned against You. Both my father’s house and I have sinned. We have acted very corruptly against You, and have not kept the commandments, the statutes, nor the ordinances which You commanded Your servant Moses. 8Remember, I pray, the word that You commanded Your servant Moses, saying,‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations;but if you return to Me, and keep My commandments and do them, though some of you were cast out to the farthest part of the heavens, yet I will gather them from there, and bring them to the place which I have chosen as a dwelling for My name.’ Now these are Your servants and Your people, whom You have redeemed by Your great power, and by Your strong hand. 11O Lord, I pray, please let Your ear be attentive to the prayer of Your servant, and to the prayer of Your servants who desire to fear Your name; and let Your servant prosper this day, I pray, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man.”
For I was the king’s cupbearer.
Proverbs 27:12
A prudent man foresees evil and hides himself;
The simple pass on and are punished.
Do we care?
Look around at the Church. Not just your church, but God’s church. Is anything broken? Peer into your community and your country. Do you see any issues?
Consider friends and acquaintances. Review their relationships. Specifically, think about the relationships you observe with husbands and wives, fathers and their children. Do you find any disconnections or misfires? Where is the problem?
More to the point – examine your own family. Is there something that must change for God to be glorified? Is anything weighing on your heart? What work is required, what outcome desired?
We find Nehemiah broken for his family, his nation and himself. The first thing he does? Pray.
Nehemiah takes swift action, he does not sit and wait. Yet he does not immediately dive into plans and solutions. He begins with passionate prayer and personal repentance.
He confesses his sin, the sins of his family and the sins of his nation. He repents for all. He mourns and fasts. Seemingly, this continues for months.
If God has given you a burden – if He has shown you something that needs fixing – take note of Nehemiah:
Because he cared, he asked about his family and people
Upon hearing the answer, he prayed – a lot
He not only asked, he repented
You and I have an innate desire to protect, fix and fortify our families. So did Nehemiah. Let’s follow his lead. We must care enough to inquire, to confess, to confidently go before God’s throne and ask for deliverance.
What prayer do you your loved ones need you to offer to God? Now is the time.