by Ric Palma

We may not be cupbearers to a king as Nehemiah was, but we are without question dedicated to serving our superiors to facilitate their success. By cultivating a good rapport with his king, Nehemiah perhaps unwittingly found himself in the right place at the right time, to be instrumental in God’s intent – to provide a reforming solution to the set of dire circumstances that plagued the people through whom He had chosen to channel His redemptive plan.

Nehemiah had earlier wept for the homeland of his fathers some 1,500 miles away and prayed fervently that God would mercifully intervene in the challenges that its people faced. Now, appreciating the capital of the king’s favor on him, Nehemiah requested boldly, and a comparatively short while later, he found himself passing, with the king’s endorsing authority, through the potential obstacles of adversarial nations, complete with royally supplied raw materials, to rebuild a city he himself had never seen. Throughout the entire adventure, Nehemiah made sure to acknowledge God’s providential response to his fervent prayers.

For most of us, our daily lives are often uneventful and mundane, and, as such, we do not often anticipate exciting change around the corner. That does not mean, however, that we are destined to be incidental to God’s momentous objectives. We simply need to remain diligent in our daily endeavors, to be alert to His promptings and to become available to be used mightily at a moment’s notice, always recognizing His sovereignty.

A fellow traveler,
Ric