There is nothing more beautiful than true repentance, and nothing more empty than a sorry that never changes. You see, God does not rearrange things because of our lips. He switches things around because of our heart. It does not matter what we say if our lives keep doing the same thing.
That is why the book of Nehemiah matters. God’s people were under an oppressive government. The walls of Jerusalem were broken down, and the gates were burned with fire. The church’s walls can look the same today: great trouble and great disgrace, protection gone, and authority missing where it once stood. God is still looking for someone who will stand in the gap.
Five Things We Will Learn
- What true repentance looks like, not flattery with our lips.
- Why we must know the season we are in before we try to rebuild.
- How Nehemiah mourned, fasted, and prayed when he heard the report.
- Why excellence at your assignment opens the door for favor.
- How compassion both feels the pain and does something about it.
True Repentance Changes Something
How many times are we going to flatten God with our lips and still do the same thing? That is not repentance at all. Nehemiah did not blame the nations around him first. He looked in the mirror. He owned his sin and the sin of his fathers. He said, in essence, my issue is me.
If you cannot work for your boss without an attitude, you are not ready for the deliverance Nehemiah received. If you cannot live in your marriage in the order God has called it to, you are wasting your breath flattering God for a breakthrough. If you cannot honor the leadership God has established around you, you are not ready yet. Nehemiah was a cupbearer. He served. He protected what went into the king’s mouth. He did his job.
Broken Walls Call for a Broken Heart
When Nehemiah heard that the remnant was in great trouble and disgrace, that the wall was broken down and the gates burned with fire, he sat down and wept. Have you even mourned over the condition of the church? I went through a season of mourning so deep I did not think I would come out of it. The only thing that can bring you out of that kind of pain is the awesome grace of God.
In Ezekiel 9:4, before judgment moved through the city, the Lord said to put a mark on the foreheads of those who grieve and lament over all the detestable things done in it. That is Nehemiah’s heart. God is looking for people who lament over what He laments over, not people hunting for a stimulus package while the walls are down.
Read Nehemiah 1 slowly. Hear the report. Face the truth. Then pray the way Nehemiah prayed: Your people. Your servants. Redeemed by Your great strength. Give Your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man.
Watch Part 1
Compassion Has Two Parts
Compassion is rare. First, you see what is going on and you feel the pain. Second, you do something about it. Pity without action is not the heart of Nehemiah. He asked God for success because he already had a strategy. Mourning, fasting, brokenness, and prayer still need a plan to bring God’s people out.
So when Nehemiah stood before the king with a sad face for the first time, the king noticed. Excellence made the difference. He had never been sad in the king’s presence before. Integrity made his sorrow believable. The king asked, “What do you want?” Nehemiah paused and prayed again, then answered with clarity: send me to rebuild.
That is favor. Not manipulation. Not a pout. A heart God had already broken, a life that had already been faithful, and a vision clear enough to answer, how long will your journey take, and when will you come back?
Lord, Give Us Nehemiah’s Heart
We must pay attention to what God is saying. It is hard to hear Him when we are fighting for what we want instead of what He wants. O Lord, give us Nehemiah’s heart: true repentance, a willingness to stand in the gap, excellence in the place You have planted us, and the courage to rebuild what has been burned.
Listen to the audio above, and walk with me through the whole series. The walls can be rebuilt. God is still looking for someone who will get right and go.
In This Series
Heart of Nehemiah Series | Next: Part 2 of 13
Related Reading
- Heart of Nehemiah: Know the Season, Groundwork for Vision, and Confronting Ridicule When You Are Building (Part 2 of 13)
- The Heart of Nehemiah Rebuilding the Walls of the Church
- Unlocking Divine Favor: Lessons from Ezra and Nehemiah