A Vessel for His use

"perhaps you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this.”

Esth 4:14 (HCSB)

Queen Esther was more than just a pretty face.  She was a vessel for God's use!  There is no way we can know why God has placed us where we are until we hear His call to action.  You are not where you are by accident.  God does not place us in our positions of life just because He wants to bless us.  We have this notion that we are in a favorable place because we have earned it or because God just really loves us.  He does loves us but you are where you are because God want to use you.  There will come a time when God will clearly speak to you and call you to action. Will you be ready?  Will you be obedient?

Be ready to respond to Him, in His time and for His purpose!

Treasure

Don’t collect for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But collect for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves don’t break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Matt 6:19-21 (HCSB)

Brokeness

On the twenty-fourth day of this month the Israelites assembled; they were fasting, [wearing] sackcloth, [and had put] dust on their heads.

Neh 9:1 (HCSB)

We reject broken things. But brokenness can be a good quality of a Christ follower. We need times of brokenness. God uses brokenness to grow us to be like His Son. In fact we learn best the spiritual truths needed when we are broken. Israel demonstrated their brokenness with fasting, sackcloth and dust on their heads. For us fasting may be a good idea while we really do not practice wearing sackcloth or putting dust on our heads. The principle however is a good one. We need to demonstrate our brokenness to God. It is not for others we display our brokenness but as a submission to God.

We reject broken things but God rejoices in broken things. When God brings challenges to your life be broken and let God work in you.

Handling Opposition

When Sanballat, Tobiah, and the Arabs, Ammonites, and Ashdodites heard that the repair to the walls of Jerusalem was progressing and that the gaps were being closed, they became furious. 8 They all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and throw it into confusion. 9 So we prayed to our God and stationed a guard because of them day and night.

Neh 4:7-9 (HCSB)

As a Christ follower you should expect opposition. I know that isn't very optimistic but it is true. When we follow Christ we are sure to encounter opposition. If you haven't yet, give it some time. Anytime we are hard at work in Kingdom work Satan will also work to challenge what God is doing. So we should know how to handle opposition.

When Nehemiah and the people found out that there were those not so excited about their mission to accomplish God's plan for their city, they had to figure out h0w to handle the opposition. They took two steps we should learn from.

1. They prayed to God.
2. They posted a guard.

When facing opposition we too must pray and then do what we are able to do to face the opposition.
Opposition is never easy to deal with but when we take wise steps and pray seeking God's help we know that we can be victorious.

Gripe or Grapple?

So I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in. Jerusalem lies in ruins and its gates have been burned down. Come, let’s rebuild Jerusalem’s wall, so that we will no longer be a disgrace.” 18 I told them how the gracious hand of my God had been on me, and what the king had said to me.They said, “Let’s start rebuilding,” and they were encouraged to [do] this good work.

Neh 2:17-18 (HCSB)

When you are faced with a challenge do you gripe or do you grapple? Nehemiah could have griped, complained or belly ached. But he didn't! He stated the fact, "we are in trouble here" and then decided to follow God in doing something about it.

When facing difficult situations we always have a choice. We can gripe or we can grapple with the problem and solve it. Now we are not talking about finding our own solution, but seeking God's plan and going to work.

Christ follower, are you griping or grappling?

Passion

During the month of Chislev in the twentieth year, when I was in the fortress city of Susa, 2 Hanani, one of my brothers, arrived with men from Judah, and I questioned them about Jerusalem and the Jewish remnant that had returned from exile. 3 They said to me, “The survivors in the province, who returned from the exile, are in great trouble and disgrace. Jerusalem’s wall has been broken down, and its gates have been burned down.”

4 When I heard these words, I sat down and wept. I mourned for a number of days, fasting and praying before the God of heaven. 5 I said,

Neh 1:1-5 (HCSB)

What are you passionate about? As a Christ follower God has a purpose and plan for your life. We should be passionate about His purpose and plan for us! How do we get passion for His purpose and plan? The same way Nehemiah did. It begins with a broken heart.

I know that seems awfully, well painful. But that's how it begins. We see a need. We hear His call. We understand a problem that pricks our hearts. Nehemiah sat down, wept and mourned with fasting and prayer.

We will never truly have passion for something or someone till we weep over them and pray for their plight. When we do we will come through a painful mourning experience with a passion to join God in what He wants to do in their lives.

Uncertain times

After this, the Moabites and Ammonites, together with some of the Meunites, came [to fight] against Jehoshaphat. 2 People came and told Jehoshaphat, “A vast multitude from beyond the Dead Sea and from Edom has come [to fight] against you; they are already in Hazazon-tamar” (that is, En-gedi). 3 Jehoshaphat was afraid, so he resolved to seek the Lord. So he proclaimed a fast for all Judah, 4 who gathered to seek the Lord. They even came from all the cities of Judah to seek Him.

2 Chron 20:1-4 (HCSB)

What do you do when you don't know what to do? How do we handle uncertain times? When it seems that our enemies are about to overpower and over take us what can we do?

Jehoshaphat has an answer! He led his nation to fast and seek the Lord. A spiritual (Biblical) fast always is accompanied by seeking the Lord. Fasting for any other reason is not a spiritual fast. Jehoshaphat knew that he needed to seek the Lord in his situation and so that is what he did. What do we do?

When we are involved in a spiritual fast there needs to be urgency, humility and dependence on God. We are urgent because we know we are uncertain how to proceed. We must be humble to realize that we don't have the answer. And we must realize that at this point we must depend on God to bring us through.

If you are uncertain what to do perhaps its time to try fasting.