Nehemiah Chapter 1~Casting Vision with Nehemiah

I was cup bearer to the king! Nehemiah chapter one paints a picture for us of who this man was, and who God was calling him to be. The fact that he was the cup bearer to the king is very significant for us, for it gives us a clue to his status.

The cup bearer had access: It was as if he had an “all access backstage pass” to an event that is monumental in history. The cup bearer also had “top secret security clearance.” He had been through all the lie detector tests and passed all the questionnaires. After all, the cup bearer was also the one who would take a hit for the king, for often he might have to taste the wine first to ensure it had not been tampered with.

Nehemiah as the cup bearer had a good life; he had all that he needed. Why then should he bother to get involved with something that clearly was not his business? The answer to that question is three fold:

1) He got involved because God broke his heart. In the beginning we see him weep over the news that he received.

2) He got involved because God called him out. Through fervent prayer and fasting God began to reveal a plan, and that plan involved a huge change and a willingness for Nehemiah to risk it all.

3) Finally, Nehemiah was willing to risk it all because through his fervent prayer and time of fasting Nehemiah saw a vision, cast by God, for God’s people. This vision was bigger than he was and it was more than he could handle on his own. In his prayer Nehemiah admitted that God could do anything, that anything included a plan that would take Nehemiah to far away places. Like James Bond, it would lead him into danger and possible death, yet he said yes. Nehemiah moved forward to risk it all. Nehemiah asked God’s favor upon the request he was about to make to the king. We hear the end of his prayer, “Give your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man. I was the cup bearer to the king.”

When are we willing to risk it all? When are we willing to live into God’s vision that is bigger than anything we could ever imagine? When do we experience “hearts that can break?”

This week at TUMC we begin a five week sermon series on Nehemiah entitled, “Casting Vision with Nehemiah.” I pray you can reflect on these questions this week as we prepare to dig deeper.

Personally, I have been asking God to give me a heart that can break, and I have failed miserably. We will talk more about that on Sunday. I am praying for another chance. How about you?