Started a new book today with Nehemiah Chapter 1. He was the cupbearer for King Artaxerxes and the book opens with him expressing his heart over the walls of Jerusalem being in ruin and how he wept, mourned and sought God for the people of Israel. See, the city’s wall was its protection. Because the wall was broken down, God’s people followed with their spirits being broken…the wall was like a sign that God has abandoned them. The people were in distress and this is why Nehemiah was so heartbroken. He was hurting for God’s people, because he loved God. He wanted to take his faith in God and do something…so he went to prayer…because he knew the power that came from God.
Now, I told you earlier that he was the cupbearer for the king…that is quite an important role. He was responsible for tasting the king’s drink before the king, to make sure it wasn’t poisoned. The king but a lot of trust in Nehemiah. This was not a job just given to anyone. It was only for someone that the king had confidence in and could be trusted. The king had faith that Nehemiah would not let him down. Now, I’m sure that being in the important role that he was in, he had many things of his concern, but he seen his people hurting and wanted to do something. He prayed with a heart ready to take action, not to pass it on to someone else. He wanted to be effective in his faith to the Lord…by leading…by praying…by trusting God. That’s an effective spiritual leader…trusting God with confidence amidst concern or despair.
Well, we have our own cup to bear. We may not be responsible for keeping the king alive, but we are responsible for keeping faith alive…through our own lives and how we display God to those around us. We can’t just pass it on for someone else to do…it’s our job. Just as Nehemiah the cupbearer had the confidence of King Artaxerxes, we should have the confidence of our King…The King of Kings!
Can He trust us with the faith we have been given?
Do we seek God above all else?
What are we doing with the faith we possess? Are we showing others the amazing power that comes from faith in Christ? Or, do we live defeated and broken lives, because of walls that have yet to be rebuilt? We must trust the promises of God even when we can’t see them. We must be willing to seek God before making any moves. The spiritual cup we bear is just as important as Nehemiah’s physical cup. With our cup, we have the ability to make an effective and enduring impact in the Kingdom of God. We have a job to be Jesus to this world. Let His love, His grace, His mercy spill out into the world around you.
That is our cup. Bear it well, friend.
