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Have you ever asked about someone that you knew but had not heard from in a long time, and the news you heard was not good?
divorce
sickness
health issues
loss of their job
home in foreclosure
What if someone were to ask about you?
Would the news be good or not so good?
When Nehemiah saw his brother who had just returned from Judah, he asked questions concerning the remnant who had escaped the exile and about Jerusalem.
And the news was not good.
The people and city were in great distress and reproach- life had been hard and/or they were making wrong choices that had led them down a sinful path.
The wall of Jerusalem was broken down and had left them completely defenseless.
The gates were burned with fire- anyone could come in or out. There was no way to control what entered the city.
Rather than have
....a brain storming session- to discuss among themselves the ways Jerusalem could fix itself....
....a chatting session- to rehash all of the mistakes Jerusalem had made and to tell each other how Jerusalem could have avoided its current state...
....a round table discussion- to point out all of the ways that Jerusalem had blown it....
...a gossip session- to give themselves a pat on the back on how well they were living their lives compared to those in Jerusalem.....
....a meeting of the minds- where solutions that would come to no end could be discussed in hypothetical situations.....
Nehemiah prayed for Jerusalem and its inhabitants.
He sat down and cried.
He mourned and fasted and prayed.....
....to the God of Heaven.
Determine to be a Nehemiah to the people in your life who are having a rough time.
Cry for them.
Fast for them.
Pray for them.
And then do what Nehemiah did next.....
Take action!
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