This Can't be the End of the Story!
They are Your servants and Your people, whom You have redeemed by Your great power and by Your strong hand. -- Nehemiah 1:10; English Standard Version
Have you ever seen a movie or read a book and thought, "This can't be the end of the story!" I know you have. It's frustrating. It makes me most angry when I've paid $7.00+ to see a movie in a theater and it ends with a stinky ending. That's why I always take note of who wrote a book or those responsible for the production of a movie. If I find them consistently doing that, I'll stop patronizing their work. After all, it just ticks me off when the ending isn't satisfying!
Nehemiah would have known how I felt. Instead of letting things frustrate him, Nehemiah turned the uncertain ending into a prayer request.
Here, in today's verse, is something God is using to teach me how to pray for my Christian brothers and sister in a more meaningful way.
Nehemiah takes a very simple thought and issues a powerful prayer dart. Nehemiah reminds God that the people--Israel--are the same people that God had saved out of Egypt. Let me, if you will, put this thought into terms that we can understand in today's language: "Lord, certainly You would not have gone through so much trouble to save these people out of Egypt, keep them through the Wilderness wondering, give them great victories in Canaan, and call them aside to be Your special people only to watch them wither and fade away!"
There is great logic and great passion in this. It would seem, from Nehemiah's standpoint, that Israel was fading into the sunset of their days. But--and here's a big "but"--Nehemiah knew God enough to know that THIS could NOT be the end of the story! He knew God had something else in mind!
God had stirred Pharaoh's hardened heart and Nehemiah knew that God would stir the heart of Cyrus too.
What has this taught me about prayer? When I learn of a Brother or Sister in ANY kind of trouble or despair I begin to pray for them KNOWING that God has done too much to save them to leave them in despair forever.
For example, I have a friend that is going through some personal struggles right now; here's how I've been praying for my friend: "Lord, You have done great things to save this man's soul. You have stretched forth Your arm of salvation. You have preserved this man through many trials. You plan to make my friend into the image of Your Son, Jesus Christ. I know that the trouble he is going through is not the end of the story. Please bless my friend and glorify Yourself through him."
In my talking with God of His great and precious promises I remind myself that, though circumstances seem difficult, God has further plans to finish the work He started in my friend. That's comforting. It's also plainly recognizing that God's story never ends with despair. It always ends with His glory!
Jesus told His disciples that He would never leave nor forsake them. I need to remember that for myself and for those I pray for. I also know that whatever good work God begins in someone He will be faithful to complete it.
As you pray for those in the Family of Faith, remember, as Nehemiah did, that God will always finish what He starts. He is faithful. Pray for the Family knowing that God is at work for His glory. Whenever the ending seems unsatisfying know that just when we think it's all over that's the very moment that God really gets to work! Don't believe me? Remember the Cross! When hell's fire was about to consume mankind God defeated death! Need further proof? When the stone sealed the tomb and all of Jesus' followers thought all was undone, God rolled it away and the tomb was found EMPTY! Why? Because not even death can end God's story! He's got plans EVEN BEYOND the grave!
Doom? No. Despair? Nope. Even in the hardest of trials, if we belong to the Lord, these things WON'T be the end of the story!
They are Your servants and Your people, whom You have redeemed by Your great power and by Your strong hand. -- Nehemiah 1:10; English Standard Version
Have you ever seen a movie or read a book and thought, "This can't be the end of the story!" I know you have. It's frustrating. It makes me most angry when I've paid $7.00+ to see a movie in a theater and it ends with a stinky ending. That's why I always take note of who wrote a book or those responsible for the production of a movie. If I find them consistently doing that, I'll stop patronizing their work. After all, it just ticks me off when the ending isn't satisfying!
Nehemiah would have known how I felt. Instead of letting things frustrate him, Nehemiah turned the uncertain ending into a prayer request.
Here, in today's verse, is something God is using to teach me how to pray for my Christian brothers and sister in a more meaningful way.
Nehemiah takes a very simple thought and issues a powerful prayer dart. Nehemiah reminds God that the people--Israel--are the same people that God had saved out of Egypt. Let me, if you will, put this thought into terms that we can understand in today's language: "Lord, certainly You would not have gone through so much trouble to save these people out of Egypt, keep them through the Wilderness wondering, give them great victories in Canaan, and call them aside to be Your special people only to watch them wither and fade away!"
There is great logic and great passion in this. It would seem, from Nehemiah's standpoint, that Israel was fading into the sunset of their days. But--and here's a big "but"--Nehemiah knew God enough to know that THIS could NOT be the end of the story! He knew God had something else in mind!
God had stirred Pharaoh's hardened heart and Nehemiah knew that God would stir the heart of Cyrus too.
What has this taught me about prayer? When I learn of a Brother or Sister in ANY kind of trouble or despair I begin to pray for them KNOWING that God has done too much to save them to leave them in despair forever.
For example, I have a friend that is going through some personal struggles right now; here's how I've been praying for my friend: "Lord, You have done great things to save this man's soul. You have stretched forth Your arm of salvation. You have preserved this man through many trials. You plan to make my friend into the image of Your Son, Jesus Christ. I know that the trouble he is going through is not the end of the story. Please bless my friend and glorify Yourself through him."
In my talking with God of His great and precious promises I remind myself that, though circumstances seem difficult, God has further plans to finish the work He started in my friend. That's comforting. It's also plainly recognizing that God's story never ends with despair. It always ends with His glory!
Jesus told His disciples that He would never leave nor forsake them. I need to remember that for myself and for those I pray for. I also know that whatever good work God begins in someone He will be faithful to complete it.
As you pray for those in the Family of Faith, remember, as Nehemiah did, that God will always finish what He starts. He is faithful. Pray for the Family knowing that God is at work for His glory. Whenever the ending seems unsatisfying know that just when we think it's all over that's the very moment that God really gets to work! Don't believe me? Remember the Cross! When hell's fire was about to consume mankind God defeated death! Need further proof? When the stone sealed the tomb and all of Jesus' followers thought all was undone, God rolled it away and the tomb was found EMPTY! Why? Because not even death can end God's story! He's got plans EVEN BEYOND the grave!
Doom? No. Despair? Nope. Even in the hardest of trials, if we belong to the Lord, these things WON'T be the end of the story!
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