This morning, as we do every morning of VBS, I began the day with our crew leaders in the sanctuary for a beginning-of-the-day devo. Today, I shared some thoughts of one of my favorite people from the Bible, the Old Testament figure and prophet Nehemiah. If you remember his story, he, along with most of Israel, had been exiled throughout the middle eastern area, specifically to Persia (what is now modern-day Iran). Having been away from Jerusalem for so many years had begun to soften the thoughts he must have had that his precious city might be falling into disrepair and despair. But it was true, as various reports had come in confirming his fears.
As soon as he heard the news, he did some amazingly faithful things. First, he simply prayed. Even in his devestating grief, he knew that he had nowhere to turn but to God for confession and repentance, on his behalf and the behalf of all of Israel, and also that He would reveal to Nehemiah what part (if any) of a plan God had in mind to restore the city of Jerusalem.
And God confirmed this, after a short time of waiting and being still (Psalm 46:10). In his position of cup-bearer to King Artaxerxes, he had found favor in the king's eyes. God opened the king's heart to first ask what was bothering his servant (unheard of!), and then to grant Nehemiah God's plan of sending him back to Jerusalem to lead the rebuilding of the city walls. The amazing "God thing" that we take from this portion of the story is that the window of opportunity to respond to the king's offer was quickly closing. No matter how close you were to him, it was always his prerogative to retract whatever offer he had previously given upon his whim. So Nehemiah knew that he may not get another opportunity to be a part of God's plan there. The time was now! And off he went, with the king's blessing and cooperation from those whom Nehemiah needed help from, in procuring materials and safe travel to and from Jerusalem.
What's our 21st C takeaway in all of this? Simply this: THE TIME IS NOW. Each and every day people are dying without a saving knowledge and faith in Jesus their redeeming Savior. Turning a blind eye to it or claiming that "my God would never be that cruel to do that to someone who never heard the Word of Christ" doesn't make the situation go away. The second option just listed actually makes you God and takes from Him His right to do as He pleases, which is always good and right and perfect and holy (Deut. 32:4). I don't relish the thought of taking the place of God!
Let's join hearts and hands in allowing the Holy Spirit to renew each of us, and His Church to wake up to the call that THE TIME IS NOW! to be Christ's ambassadors to the world around us. Peace...
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