DCLM HIGHER EVERYDAY 11 NOVEMBER 2021 — From Sadness to Request
DCLM Higher Everyday 11 November 2021 Devotional by Pastor W. F. Kumuyi — From Sadness to Request
BIBLE TEXT: NEHEMIAH 2:1-6
1 And it came to pass in the month Nisan, in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king, that wine was before him: and I took up the wine, and gave it unto the king. Now I had not been beforetime sad in his presence.
2 Wherefore the king said unto me, Why is thy countenance sad, seeing thou art not sick? this is nothing else but sorrow of heart. Then I was very sore afraid,
3 And 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’ sepulchres, lieth waste, and the gates thereof are consumed with fire?
4 Then the king said unto me, For what dost thou make request? So I prayed to the God of heaven.
5 And 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’ sepulchres, that I may build it.
6 And 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.
MESSAGE:
MEMORY VERSE: “And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in” (ISAIAH 58:12).
The Bible tells the story of a woman whose name was Hannah. She was the rightful wife of the husband, but was barren. The second wife, Peninnah, had children for the husband, and often mocked Hannah for her childlessness. This saddening and painful situation moved Hannah to seek the intervention of God for solution. Eventually, our faithful God granted her request and Samuel, a great prophet, was born.
Nehemiah’s own sadness and sorrow was because of the wall of Jerusalem that was broken down and its gates that were burned down with fire. His concern and burden was to rebuild the broken walls. This made him sad and led him to present a request to King Artaxerxes so that he could build the wall back. Believers should have passion for God’s work and show concern for the dying sinners around them. We learn also to take our burdens to God in prayer. Youths should learn from our text that prayer can gain them favour to do great things for God in their schools. Be a builder in God’s kingdom.
QUOTE: Be a builder in God’s kingdom.
CHALLENGE: Show concern for God’s work.
PRAYER: Make me a builder in Your kingdom, Lord.
1. Admit that you are a sinner. "For all [humans] have sinned, and comes short of the glory of God....[and] the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 3:23)
2. Repent now. "Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out ...[for] if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness " (Acts 3:19, 1 John 1:9)
3. Believe that God loves you and Jesus died for you. "God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet Sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8)
4. Invite Jesus into your life through prayer of faith. Jesus says, "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me" (Revelation 3:20)
