The first chapter of Nehemiah begins with “in the month of Chislev,” which is about December. This chapter begins with “in the month of Nisan,” which is around April. So there is a time lapse of about 4 months between these 2 chapters. When Nehemiah heard the bad news of the conditions in Jerusalem, he wept, prayed, and fasted. He was in essence saying, “Lord, use me; send me to Jerusalem to rebuild the walls.” It is interesting to note that in spite of his prayer nothing happened for 4 months; however, Nehemiah didn’t lose hope.<\/p>\n
Nehemiah was a man of vision and patience, and he showed himself willing to simply wait on God. This is a difficult spiritual lesson that every believer must learn, how to wait on God’s timing. In the midst of waiting, it’s easy to feel like the Lord has forgotten us. So it’s a great comfort that the Bible is filled with men and women who had to learn this lesson of patience. When Moses was young, he thought he had some talent in leading people, and had tried in his own power to make something happen. But he only managed to make a mess, killing an Egyptian and having to flee to the wilderness to hide out. It wasn’t until after 40 years in the desert tending sheep that he came to the conclusion that he wasn’t capable of leading anything but sheep. And it was then that God was finally able to begin to use him. For 40 years Joshua served in obscurity as Moses’ assistant. For 25 years David ran from King Saul, waiting for Saul’s reign to end so he could be king.<\/p>\n
We shouldn’t be surprised to find God making us wait before He uses us. Of course the problem is never God, but always us, His children. Sometimes we need to be changed, and sometimes it’s just not God’s timing yet. So when we find ourselves in the midst of waiting, the best thing we can do is simple draw closer to God, trusting Him and allowing Him to change the things in us that need to be changed so He can use us.<\/p>\n
“LORD, we desire to be used by You today in some small way. Show us someone we can serve, and by serving them, serve You.”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n =============================================================<\/p>\n\n\n\n Nehemiah 2 KJV<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1<\/sup>\u00a0And it came to pass in the month Nisan, in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king,\u00a0that\u00a0<\/em>wine\u00a0was\u00a0<\/em>before him: and I took up the wine, and gave\u00a0it\u00a0<\/em>unto the king. Now I had not been\u00a0beforetime\u00a0<\/em>sad in his presence.\u00a02<\/sup>\u00a0Wherefore the king said unto me, Why\u00a0is\u00a0<\/em>thy countenance sad, seeing thou\u00a0art\u00a0<\/em>not sick? this\u00a0is\u00a0<\/em>nothing\u00a0else\u00a0<\/em>but sorrow of heart. Then I was very sore afraid,\u00a03<\/sup>\u00a0And said unto the king, Let the king live for ever: why should not my countenance be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers\u2019 sepulchres,\u00a0lieth\u00a0<\/em>waste, and the gates thereof are consumed with fire?\u00a04<\/sup>\u00a0Then the king said unto me, For what dost thou make request? So I prayed to the God of heaven.\u00a05<\/sup>\u00a0And I said unto the king, If it please the king, and if thy servant have found favour in thy sight, that thou wouldest send me unto Judah, unto the city of my fathers\u2019 sepulchres, that I may build it.\u00a06<\/sup>\u00a0And the king said unto me, (the queen also sitting by him,) For how long shall thy journey be? and when wilt thou return? So it pleased the king to send me; and I set him a time.\u00a0\u00a07<\/sup>\u00a0Moreover I said unto the king, If it please the king, let letters be given me to the governors beyond the river, that they may convey me over till I come into Judah;\u00a08<\/sup>\u00a0And a letter unto Asaph the keeper of the king\u2019s forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the palace which\u00a0appertained\u00a0<\/em>to the house, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall enter into. And the king granted me, according to the good hand of my God upon me. 9<\/sup>\u00a0Then I came to the governors beyond the river, and gave them the king\u2019s letters. Now the king had sent captains of the army and horsemen with me.\u00a010<\/sup>\u00a0When Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, heard\u00a0of it\u00a0<\/em>, it grieved them exceedingly that there was come a man to seek the welfare of the children of Israel.\u00a011<\/sup>\u00a0So I came to Jerusalem, and was there three days. 12<\/sup>\u00a0And I arose in the night, I and some few men with me; neither told I\u00a0any\u00a0<\/em>man what my God had put in my heart to do at Jerusalem: neither\u00a0was there any\u00a0<\/em>beast with me, save the beast that I rode upon.\u00a013<\/sup>\u00a0And I went out by night by the gate of the valley, even before the dragon well, and to the dung port, and viewed the walls of Jerusalem, which were broken down, and the gates thereof were consumed with fire.\u00a014<\/sup>\u00a0Then I went on to the gate of the fountain, and to the king\u2019s pool: but\u00a0there was\u00a0<\/em>no place for the beast\u00a0that was\u00a0<\/em>under me to pass.\u00a015<\/sup>\u00a0Then went I up in the night by the brook, and viewed the wall, and turned back, and entered by the gate of the valley, and\u00a0so\u00a0<\/em>returned.\u00a016<\/sup>\u00a0And the rulers knew not whither I went, or what I did; neither had I as yet told\u00a0it\u00a0<\/em>to the Jews, nor to the priests, nor to the nobles, nor to the rulers, nor to the rest that did the work. 17<\/sup> Then said I unto them, Ye see the distress that we\u00a0are\u00a0<\/em>in, how Jerusalem\u00a0lieth<\/em>waste, and the gates thereof are burned with fire: come, and let us build up the wall of Jerusalem, that we be no more a reproach.\u00a018<\/sup>\u00a0Then I told them of the hand of my God which was good upon me; as also the king\u2019s words that he had spoken unto me. And they said, Let us rise up and build. So they strengthened their hands for\u00a0this<\/em>good\u00a0work\u00a0<\/em>.\u00a019<\/sup>\u00a0But when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian, heard\u00a0it\u00a0<\/em>, they laughed us to scorn, and despised us, and said, What\u00a0is\u00a0<\/em>this thing that ye do? will ye rebel against the king?\u00a020<\/sup> Then answered I them, and said unto them, The God of heaven, he will prosper us; therefore we his servants will arise and build: but ye have no portion, nor right, nor memorial, in Jerusalem.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The first chapter of Nehemiah begins with “in the month of Chislev,” which is about December. This chapter begins with “in the month of Nisan,” which is around April. So there is a time lapse of about 4 months between these 2 chapters. 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