Nehemiah 1
Have you ever been faced with an impossible situation? An impossible situation at work, in your home, in your marriage, in your relationship with your children, maybe an impossible situation with your own health. The truth is our world is filled with impossible situations. Today we begin reading the book of Nehemiah, the memoirs of a man with an impossible situation. His particular impossible situation was a wall that had been in ruins for over 90 years. No one could build that wall, "all the king's horses and all the king's men just couldn't put it together again."
So what do we do in these impossible situations? Nehemiah shares with us several steps he took and they should be our guide in our impossible situations. The first step Nehemiah took was to look around. He did an extensive survey of the problem. A problem clearly defined is a problem half solved. So many people are living in denial of the real problem. The next step was to look up and pray. Is it too elementary to say that with God there are no impossible situations? When we pray we are talking to the source of our help and hope. Looking up is laying hold of God through prayer to give us guidance and resources during these difficult times. Prayer also reminds us of the awesome character of the God we serve. Nehemiah basically says, "Jerusalem may be in shambles but you are still a great and awesome God. Our situation is a mess, but you are still in control." When we pray in these hard times, it focuses our attention on God and not the problem. The third step was looking in his heart with repentance. Nehemiah confesses the sins that have put them in this impossible situation. So many people live as victims but when you are a victim your problems are never solved. And finally he looks out and offers himself as part of God's solution. Looking out is more than passively observing the problem; it means we realize that God might be asking us to be part of the solution. Many people never rise above their impossible situation because they are expecting someone to come in to rescue them, when in fact God might be calling them to rescue themselves.
So whatever your hopeless situation is today, don't fear and don't freak out. Pray as if everything depends on God and work as if everything depends on you.
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