Not sure if you’ve given JOURNALING a shot yet, but if yes, I hope you’ve already had some sacred moments with Jesus, and if not yet, well, consider this another invitation to put pen to paper as to ALL that Jesus is doing with you, through you, and around you.
As we continue in this JOURNALING series, here’s something fresh from my journal this past week…
‘LORD, PLEASE HELP ME UNDERSTAND WHY I’M NOT WEEPING AT THE STATE OF OUR WORLD RIGHT NOW.’
This was a prayer I prayed, but really, it’s a question that I’m seeking God’s guidance and wisdom on.
Here’s the backstory behind this ‘prayer question.’
As I was reading Nehemiah this past week, in the opening verses, here are the words that I read…
“One of my brothers, came to visit me with some other men who had just arrived from Judah. I asked them about the Jews who had returned there from captivity and about how things were going in Jerusalem.”
Nehemiah 1:2 (NLT)
Before we consider the response Nehemiah received from his friends, let me just put some context behind this question.
At this point in human history, there is…
no internet…
no phones…
no postal service.
In short, Nehemiah was a Jewish exile serving at the whim of a pagan king, and he had ZERO idea as to how his people (the Jews) were doing.
I think we sometimes forget the world in which we live. Meaning, we have instant access to know what’s happening 10,000 miles away at the click of a button. And not only that, but we also have video evidence of all that’s happening 10,000 miles away.
Point being, it wasn’t always like that! For Nehemiah, he was absolutely clueless has to how his Jewish brothers and sisters were getting along back in his homeland.
Without further delay, here’s the report Nehemiah received…
They said to me, “Things are not going well for those who returned to the province of Judah. They are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem has been torn down, and the gates have been destroyed by fire.”
Nehemiah 1:3 (NLT)
As best you can, how would envision responding to that update? Which response best represents what your response ‘might’ be?
“Well, that’s a serious bummer for those guys!”
“Well, I really wish I could help my brothers and sisters, but there’s nothing I could do from where I am to make any sort of difference.”
“Well, I hope somebody steps in to do something!”
Not sure if any of these responses represent well your response, but needless to say, I was CONVICTED by the response of Nehemiah when he heard the devastating report as to all that was happening in his homeland.
“When I heard this, I sat down and wept. In fact, for days I mourned, fasted, and prayed to the God of heaven.”
Nehemiah 1:4 (NLT)
SITTING… WEEPING… MOURNING… FASTING… PRAYING.
After reading those five words, I hope you can see why I was CONVICTED by Nehemiah’s response to ALL that was happening in his homeland.
Before Nehemiah reacted…
Before Nehemiah responded with some sort of gameplan…
And before Nehemiah did anything, Nehemiah…
SAT… WEPT… MOURNED… FASTED & PRAYED.
If you want to know how the LORD led Nehemiah through sitting, weeping, mourning, fasting and praying, PLEASE READ the rest of the story; it’s a powerful one!
For me, I just want to return to the ‘prayer question’ I wrote in my journal on Monday, May 12th. And as of Wednesday, May 14th, I don’t have an answer yet… and I’m ok with that. I will continue to seek the LORD’S wisdom and insight on what I’m asking, but for now, I’m in a place of ‘SITTING’ and ‘PRAYING.’ Weeping and mourning and fasting have yet to take place, but I’m hoping as I sit and listen to the LORD’s heart, He’ll lead me to feel what He feels.
I wish I had more clarity to give you through this journal entry, but I don’t. But here’s something I do know…
If I never stopped to journal out this ‘prayer-question’ from my time in Nehemiah, I may have missed a work that the LORD is seeking to do in my heart right now. Again, I don’t know where this will lead, but it started with being in God’s Word and then taking a moment to sit with what His Word is saying to me. And in this case, God’s Word led me to ask a simple, but potentially transformational question.
If you would, pray that I would NOT miss what the LORD is seeking to grow in me through all of this. And as you pray for me, know that I’m praying for you… not so much on the ‘prayer-question’ I’m asking, but that the LORD would lead you to the question He’s wanting to give you sanctifying insight on.
And if you’d like to share with me what that question is… just email me at .
