Monday Meditation

[Neh 1:4-11 ESV] 4 As soon as I heard these words I sat down and wept and mourned for days, and I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven. 5 And I said, "O LORD God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, 6 let your ear be attentive and your eyes open, to hear the prayer of your servant that I now pray before you day and night for the people of Israel your servants, confessing the sins of the people of Israel, which we have sinned against you. Even I and my father's house have sinned. 7 We have acted very corruptly against you and have not kept the commandments, the statutes, and the rules that you commanded your servant Moses. 8 Remember the word that you commanded your servant Moses, saying, 'If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples, 9 but if you return to me and keep my commandments and do them, though your outcasts are in the uttermost parts of heaven, from there I will gather them and bring them to the place that I have chosen, to make my name dwell there.' 10 They are your servants and your people, whom you have redeemed by your great power and by your strong hand. 11 O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant, and to the prayer of your servants who delight to fear your name, and give success to your servant today, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man." Now I was cupbearer to the king.

Nehemiah had just heard bad news about his homeland.  He mourned and wept and turned to God in prayer and supplication.  He pleaded to be pleasing in the eyes of his boss, the king so he might be in a position to do something about the bad news even though he was only a cup bearer.  In the hands of a lesser god, this might be a problem.  But Nehemiah was praying to the one, true God . . .

We have all received bad news at one time or another.  We've cried out "why us?" and turned to God begging for a solution.  So we have quite a bit in common with Nehemiah including access to the one, true God . .