尼希米的反應
尼希米記一章4至11節
4我聽見這話，就坐下哭泣，悲哀幾日，在天上的神面前禁食祈禱，說：
5耶和華─天上的神，大而可畏的神啊，你向愛你、守你誡命的人守約施慈愛。
6願你睜眼看，側耳聽，你僕人晝夜在你面前為你眾僕人以色列民的祈禱，承認我們以色列人向你所犯的罪；我與我父家都有罪了。
7我們向你所行的甚是邪惡，沒有遵守你藉著僕人摩西所吩咐的誡命、律例、典章。
8求你記念所吩咐你僕人摩西的話，說：你們若犯罪，我就把你們分散在萬民中；
9但你們若歸向我，謹守遵行我的誡命，你們被趕散的人雖在天涯，我也必從那裡將他們招聚回來，帶到我所選擇立為我名的居所。
10這都是你的僕人、你的百姓，就是你用大力和大能的手所救贖的。
11主啊，求你側耳聽你僕人的祈禱，和喜愛敬畏你名眾僕人的祈禱，使你僕人現今亨通，在王面前蒙恩。我是作王酒政的。
信息分享
當時的尼希米在朝廷身任要職。他是近身服侍王的其中一個大臣，甚得王的信任。他的意見，有時甚至可以影響王的決定。因此，他怎會捨得離開如此愜意的工作呢？
然而，尼希米知道耶路撒冷的境況後，便十分激動和傷心。但他沒有立即跑到王的面前請辭。他先在神的面前安靜禱告，尋求神的指引。尼希米在悲痛之餘，在神面前流淚禱告，求神復興耶路撒冷。他並且向神表示，神若要他參與這復興的工作，他相信神必定為他開路。尼希米記餘下的部分，便是記述神怎樣應允他的禱告。他雖然面對很多障礙，但神最終仍帶領他一一經過。尼希米的經歷，對今天的基督徒領袖特別有所激勵。
我們只能夠從中汲取歷史的教訓？不，不是那麼簡單。試想想，在你的生命中，有沒有任何地方是受到破壞，而有待修補的？我們要記著，我們的敵人撒但，最擅長找尋我們生命中的漏洞，然後再加以攻擊。聖靈曾否提醒你：「你的生命中有某個地方是需要修補的，你準備如何去修補它呢？」
出現漏洞的，可能是那堵禱告的牆，也可能是那堵防止你沾染世俗的牆；你再不去修補它們，它們就會逐漸剝落和崩塌。過往，你可能還堅持己意，不願意作出任何改變來修補你的牆；但今天，你是否願意祈求聖靈親自在你的心中動工，讓祂幫助你重建那些失修的地方？聖靈正在等候你的回應，問題是你願意嗎？
經文反思：
「主啊，求你為我造清潔的心，使我裡面重新有正直的靈。」(詩五十一10)
THE RESPONSE OF NEHEMIAH
Nehemiah 1:4-11
4 So it was, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned for many days; I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven.
5 And I said: “I pray, Lord God of heaven, O great and awesome God, You who keep Your covenant and mercy with those who love You and observe Your commandments,
6 please let Your ear be attentive and Your eyes open, that You may hear the prayer of Your servant which I pray before You now, day and night, for the children of Israel Your servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel which we have sinned against You. Both my father’s house and I have sinned.
7 We have acted very corruptly against You, and have not kept the commandments, the statutes, nor the ordinances which You commanded Your servant Moses.
8 Remember, I pray, the word that You commanded Your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations;
9 but if you return to Me, and keep My commandments and do them, though some of you were cast out to the farthest part of the heavens, yet I will gather them from there, and bring them to the place which I have chosen as a dwelling for My name.’
10 Now these are Your servants and Your people, whom You have redeemed by Your great power, and by Your strong hand.
11 O Lord, I pray, please let Your ear be attentive to the prayer of Your servant, and to the prayer of Your servants who desire to fear Your name; and let Your servant prosper this day, I pray, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man.”
Message
He had a very responsible position in the king's palace. He was the most trusted servant and the closest to the king. He could easily influence decisions by the king if he wanted to in favour of those who wanted him to do so. So why leave?
But Nehemiah was deeply moved by what he had heard. However, he didn't rush immediately to the king and say, 'I am leaving right now'. He took time for prayer, for guidance, before he spoke to the king. Nehemiah's tears led him to pray that something might be done about the situation. If God wanted him to be part of the project, then God would open the way for him to do so. The rest of the book of Nehemiah is the story of how God answered that prayer. He faced many obstacles, but God carried him through them all. It is a thrilling story especially for Christian leaders today.
Is this only a history lesson? No, think about it. Are there walls in your life that have been broken down and need to be rebuilt? Remember our enemy, Satan, is a master at finding openings through which he can attack our lives. Has God the Holy Spirit been saying to you, 'There is something I want to rebuild in your life'? What are you doing about it?
It could be the wall of prayer that has been broken down. It could be the wall of separation from the world that you have allowed to crumble piece by piece. Maybe you are saying, 'I like things the way they are. I am not sure that I want to change.' Why not ask the Holy Spirit to do his own work in your heart beginning today? Let him help you rebuild those walls that are broken down? He is waiting. Are you willing?
A VERSE FOR TODAY:
'O Lord, create in me a clean heart and renew a right spirit within me.'