Faithful Service

The king said to me, with the queen sitting beside him, “How long will your journey be, and when will you return?” So it pleased the king to send me, and I gave him a definite time.— Nehemiah 2:6 NASB

Nehemiah was devastated to learn that the walls of Jerusalem were broken down. He felt a burden to do something. But as an exile in far-off Persia, he wasn’t sure he could do anything.

Amazingly, God did use Nehemiah to rebuild the walls. One reason for this success was the respect he had earned.

Nehemiah had established a strong, personal bond with Persia’s king and queen. We see this when the king asked why Nehemiah was sad. Sharing his burden, Nehemiah was not sure how the king would react. But after seeking God’s direction, he asked the king to send him to rebuild the walls.

The king quickly agreed to the request. He seemed unconcerned about the journey or the task. He wanted to know when Nehemiah would return and resume his role in his court.

Nehemiah had laid the foundation to accomplish this sensitive task because he had developed a relationship of trust with the king (and queen).

The Bible reminds us that we never know what might develop from our relationships. If we follow the example of Nehemiah, we will seek to be faithful servants at our jobs, and in our churches, homes, communities, and families. We should want others to trust us.

Seek to serve God in every task. Ask Him to help you to have the attitude of a servant, to work with excellence, and to be trustworthy and faithful.

Reflection Question: Compose a prayer asking God to give you direction for the tasks ahead.