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Nehemiah: a heart that can break by Kelly Minter – Week Two


Week One was incredibly challenging, wasn’t it?  I pray that you confronted many of your own issues and that you are working with the Lord to turn those issues into blessing and that you look more like Jesus today than you did yesterday.  Week Two appears to be equally challenging.

In the video, Kelly interviews her younger sister, who was changed by a mission trip.  She says she “saw her sin in the jungle”.  When confronted with people who have nothing in the way of possessions but they have a passion for Christ that is unrivaled, it’s hard not to be disgusted by the comforts of home that we routinely enjoy.

Nehemiah learned of the broken condition of the walls of Jerusalem while he was living in a Persian palace as the king’s cupbearer.  He obtained permission from the king to go and assess the damage.  He kept his mission to himself until he could examine the brokenness and discern what resources and materials would be needed to repair the damage.  That is how a wise caretaker treats such a circumstance:  assess and examine.  And there is another lesson for me in this: the shame and disgrace of brokenness doesn’t mean that we are unprotected by the Lord.

In the homework, we are encountering a variety of people who have come together to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.  Perfumers, priests, goldsmiths, rulers, guards and women work side-by-side to repair the destruction to the wall near a place of importance:  either a strategic part of the city or near their home.  Some go somewhere else to serve.  Some serve right in their neighborhoods.  It’s the same with us.  We don’t all have to travel around the globe to be useful to God.  Sometimes our neighbor is the one who needs us.  I’m discovering that this is the case in my own situation.

When I was younger, I wanted to be a Psychologist.  I never did get my doctorate or a private practice in counseling, but I realized after doing this week’s study that I can still be a Christian counselor every time someone asks for my advice at home, church or work.  It was truly eye-opening to learn that God can use me how He wired me even without credentials that the world recognizes.  Praise Jesus!

How – and where – Is the Lord using you?

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