God's call for you (1)

When we get an unshakeable sense deep inside of 'I want to see change,' we must take notice. We may not feel like that about a particular issue right now, but let's keep praying that we will.

Let's see what Nehemiah did when he heard God call him. The call to Nehemiah came as terrible news. God's people in his holy city were suffering and being destroyed. Nehemiah's response was to sit down and weep. And this is instinctive, natural and right. We talk a lot about being joyful in church, but the Bible is also full of people weeping in response to the suffering they see and experience. Their tears reflect God's pain. When we see pain and suffering, it should hurt us, because we know it goes against the grain of God's will for the world.

But, before Nehemiah could respond in sorrow, he had to hear the news. We have to hear before we can respond. And to hear, we have to listen. We have to open our ears and hearts to news of those in need. We have to allow ourselves to be stirred, to feel discomfort. But, crucially, we then have to follow it with action. Compassion is not just a feeling, it's a response.



So what now? Is there a situation around you or a story in the news that you think needs to change? Investigate it further. When you're drawn to certain people or events, take it as you being led by God to respond. Start with praying and see what happens!





— SCRIPTURE —

'When I heard this, I sat down and cried.' Nehemiah 1:4 GWT
— SOULFOOD —

Judg 9:34-11:40, Matt 17:1-13, Ecc 5:4-6, Ps 119:73-80 , Pro 20:25