“Wait. Pray. Plan.”

Oct. 30

SERMON Title: Wait. Pray. Plan.
SCRIPTURE: Nehemiah 2:1-8

Passage (Nehemiah 2:1-8)
Artaxerxes sends Nehemiah to Jerusalem

In the month of Nisan in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was brought for him, I took the wine and gave it to the king. I had not been sad in his presence before, so the king asked me, “Why does your face look so sad when you are not ill? This can be nothing but sadness of heart.” I was very much afraid, but I said to the king, “May the king live forever! Why should my face not look sad when the city where my ancestors are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?” The king said to me, “What is it you want?” Then I prayed to the God of heaven, and I answered the king, “If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favor in his sight, let him send me to the city in Judah where my ancestors are buried so that I can rebuild it.” Then the king, with the queen sitting beside him, asked me, “How long will your journey take, and when will you get back?” It pleased the king to send me; so I set a time. I also said to him, “If it pleases the king, may I have letters to the governors of Trans-Euphrates, so that they will provide me safe-conduct until I arrive in Judah? And may I have a letter to Asaph, keeper of the royal park, so he will give me timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel by the temple and for the city wall and for the residence I will occupy?” And because the gracious hand of my God was on me, the king granted my requests.

Some of the points below have been adopted from Pastor Jason Noh’s sermon which can be found here.

What’s happening in the passage?

Last week, we looked into the historical context in which Nehemiah was written. This week, we dive deeper into what happens after Nehemiah weeps and mourns in fasting and pray for God’s help in delivering the people of Judah. Nehemiah isn’t immediately mobilized by God, but instead we see a 4-month gap between Nehemiah receiving his calling and making his first move. We will focus on what Nehemiah’s 4-month delay can teach us about the posture we bear as we carry out our callings in a godly and successful manner.

After Nehemiah received his calling, he waited for God’s timing.

Nehemiah had the opportunity to put his hands to work right away in restoring Jerusalem, but instead of thinking about how he could accomplish said things, He waited on God’s timing. We see a similar pattern for the different leaders God answered in time: Abraham and Sarah and the 30 years of waiting before receiving Isaac, David’s wait of 15 years before being anointed as King, Jesus waiting 30 years before starting His ministry, or with the early church in Acts waiting for the oncoming of the Holy Spirit before being sent out to reach the rest of the world.

Waiting can be hard because it is accepting and staying in a state of uncertainty. To avoid waiting and feeling like we are stuck, we instead move forward with our own ways and in our own timing, relying on our own strength, our own experience, and our own resources. While we are waiting, God is preparing certain parts of the situation for the purpose of our calling. In our waiting, God may be preparing our hearts, our postures, our resources, our strategies, and He is refining our vision and equipping us with the skills we may need, that we may endure hardships that come up. In the things that we do not see, God is preparing and aligning the way for us.

We see God’s timing for Nehemiah arise when the King asked about how Nehemiah is doing. As the cupbearer, Nehemiah was supposed to be the one who is concerned with the King’s well-being, yet as the King inquires about Nehemiah’s state and hears his concern about the restoration of Jerusalem, the King responds with support about Nehemiah’s request to get started on his calling to rebuild Jerusalem’s walls.

Nehemiah prayed in his period of waiting.

Nehemiah prayed over his calling and vision for a total of 4 months. It may be easier for some of us to pray for a concern but immensely difficult to pray for a vision or a calling. We can learn from Nehemiah, for the prayer he up regarding his vision was most likely petitioning for discernment. It was a prayer specifically asking about what God had in mind in terms of the vision or calling Nehemiah ought to take up.

This can be a reminder to us about the specificity of our prayers as we make decisions and determine what steps to take, because oftentimes we may not be discerning between good and bad ideas, but between God’s ideas and good ideas. To pray for a discerning eye to see through deceptive, personal agendas and impure intentions so that God may be pleased with our final decisions. We may see over the course of our time of prayer, an increasing burden weighing heavier on our hearts, a stronger desire to do something, or the realization of when the timing has finally arrived.

Lastly, while in waiting, Nehemiah also prayerfully planned.

Nehemiah didn’t only wait in prayer but also planned while waiting. He thought, assessed, and determined how he was going to help restore the walls of Jerusalem. He determined plans of where he is going, how long he’ll be gone for, where he needs to travel through, where he needs to get building material from, who’s in charge of those area, what kind of authority he needs for his protection and provision, etc. He prayerfully envisioned and planned his journey ahead and prepared the list of what needs to be done, including how and when he is going to approach the king and what he is going to request from him. He prayerfully made plans as he discerned whether those plans are aligned with God’s will as well, and worked at the plans but doing so with an unwavering conviction that God is the One in full control to utilize our efforts and make it effective.

What does this mean for us?

When Nehemiah’s active waiting in prayer and planning met God’s perfect timing, everything that Nehemiah prayed and planned for took place. For the good hand of God was on him – meaning God’s favor and protection was on him. As we are in waiting, let us not wait aimlessly, let us not wait passively – but let us actively wait for God’s timing as we pray and plan diligently. As we do, may the good hand of God be upon all of us, to grant us His favor and protection.

Sermon reflection questions:

What is 1 area you are seeking God’s hand in right now? How do you see Him testing or refining your patience as you wait on Him to empower you in your calling or vision?
Nehemiah chooses to adopt a posture of prayer in everything He does. How is your current desire or posture of prayer a reflection of the state of your personal relationship with God?
What does waiting on God look like for you? Do you default to taking matters into your own hand or grow in the fires of bitterness, impatience, or resentment against God who isn’t answering your prayers?

Prayer

Jesus, though this current season may be dry, difficult, confusing, or unexpected, I seek your timing and your will to be made known to me. May the Spirit illuminate the areas of my heart and my life that need to be addressed so that I may realign my vision and calling to carry it out for Your glory.

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