The following is an excerpt from my new book, “Be a Man the World Needs: Volume One,” available now at: https://a.co/d/80U575e. Every day this week, you can read a new devotion from the first chapter.
1.5 SEND ME
READ: Nehemiah 2:1-20
“And I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, that you send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers’ graves, that I may rebuild it.” Nehemiah 2:5 ESV
Every day, Nehemiah stood in the presence of the king. He was close, faithful, and always there to serve his king. But the plight of his people weighed on him. Nehemiah saw the world in need but did not merely see it. He decided to do something about it.
The land of his fathers was in chaos. The place of his people. There was a tremendous need, and it gripped his heart. The cupbearer was in a position to make such a big demand of a king. He was a servant. He was the king's property. But the king asked. Nehemiah’s faithfulness had created an opportunity for authenticity. When the moment came, Nehemiah didn’t balk. He acted.
Nehemiah took his awareness of the world’s need to one who could do something about it. And, more importantly, he had a willingness to participate in the solution. Nehemiah wasn’t trying to solve someone else’s problems by proxy or secondhand. He was willing to go.
What did Nehemiah know about building walls, leading people, or cross-country travel? Nothing. He was a cupbearer. Like many others before and so many after, Nehemiah’s willingness to faithfully attend to the need in front of him every day positioned him to do what was next.
Our world is bombarded by voices screaming about what they believe the world needs. It’s become so ubiquitous that it has become background noise. The world doesn’t need another voice pointing fingers at secondhand problems. The world needs men who are willing to say, “Send me.”
CHALLENGE: When you see a problem today, don’t just point it out to someone else. Become part of the solution.