1 1-2 It was the month of Nisan in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king. At the hour for serving wine I brought it in and gave it to the king. I had never been hangdog in his presence before, so he asked me, “Why the long face? You’re not sick are you? Or are you depressed?”
2-3 That made me all the more agitated. I said, “Long live the king! And why shouldn’t I be depressed when the city, the city where all my family is buried, is in ruins and the city gates have been reduced to cinders?”
4-5 The king then asked me, “So what do you want?”
Praying under my breath to the God-of-Heaven, I said, “If it please the king, and if the king thinks well of me, send me to Judah, to the city where my family is buried, so that I can rebuild it.”
6 The king, with the queen sitting alongside him, said, “How long will your work take and when would you expect to return?”
I gave him a time, and the king gave his approval to send me.
7-8 Then I said, “If it please the king, provide me with letters to the governors across the Euphrates that authorize my travel through to Judah; and also an order to Asaph, keeper of the king’s forest, to supply me with timber for the beams of The Temple fortress, the wall of the city, and the house where I’ll be living.”
8-9 The generous hand of my God was with me in this and the king gave them to me. When I met the governors across The River (the Euphrates) I showed them the king’s letters. The king even sent along a cavalry escort.
10 When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard about this, they were very upset, angry that anyone would come to look after the interests of the People of Israel.
Nehemiah's heart was with the People of God. His heart was depressed but never hopeless. He continued to pray to God for His generous hand to be upon him. Waiting for the works of the Lord is the most challenging thing to all servants of God. Nehemiah waited and prayed; he waited and prayed. When time of God comes, the king asked him the reason of his depression, and also granted him the approval to return to Jerusalem for rebuilding works, and even gave him the necessary approval, timbers, and other escort for his trip. God did amazing things in Nehemiah's work. He blessed; He moved the heart of the king; He granted Nehemiah resources and other things he needed. God is God as experienced in Nehemiah's life. Enemies of God were upset and angry and found opportunities to fight back.
My Father God, let me experience that You are God of the heaven, the God of your chosen people and also the God of the non-believers. You call me to wait upon Your will actively; wait and pray; wait and pray until to the time that Your work is to be implemented. Let me see how You do amazing works in your people and open doors that cannot be opened except with your works.
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