Over and over again, we read about men and women in the Bible who did great things for God. Now, notice I didn't say great men and women -- but men and women who did great things.
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Do you know what these men and women had in common? Each one of them had a big heart for God. Like Nehemiah.
Nehemiah's story, which is recorded for us in the Old Testament, is one of the great epochs of Christian history. Not only is Nehemiah's story a manual on leadership, organization, and how to accomplish goals, it shows us what God can do through a man whose heart is totally and completely His.
I'd encourage you to take some time in the next month or so to read the entire story of Nehemiah. But today there's one chapter of his life that I'd like to focus you on... when Nehemiah took a step out of his comfort zone and made an eternal difference for God.
Nehemiah was a displaced Jew living a thousand miles from Jerusalem in what's known today as Persia, or Iran. He had risen to prominence as the cupbearer to the king of Persia, and he lived quite a comfortable life in the king's palace. He slept on satin sheets and down pillows. He was living the good life!
Yet one fateful day, some Jewish friends of Nehemiah returned from a jaunt to Jerusalem. And he asked them a question that ended up changing his life: "How is it with the people of Jerusalem?" And they said, "Nehemiah, it's not good. The walls are down, the gates are burned with fire, and the people are living in shame and disgrace."
