Nehemiah 1:5-11
Lord God of heaven, you are great and fearsome. And you faithfully keep your promises to everyone who loves you and obeys your commands. I am your servant, so please have mercy on me and answer the prayer that I make day and night for these people of Israel who serve you. I, my family, and the rest of your people have sinned by choosing to disobey you and the laws and teachings you gave to your servant Moses.
Please remember the promise you made to Moses. You told him that if we were unfaithful, you would scatter us among foreign nations. But you also said that no matter how far away we were, we could turn to you and start obeying your laws. Then you would bring us back to the place where you have chosen to be worshiped.
Our Lord, I am praying for your servants - those you rescued by your great strength and mighty power. Please answer my prayer and the prayer of your other servants who gladly honor your name. When I serve the king his wine today, make him pleased with me and have him do what I ask.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
For several weeks now, I’ve been seeing ads for a new 90-day workout plan devised by my favorite fitness trainer. Honestly, I’ve been ready to push the button several times and order these DVDs… but I’ve yet to do so. For one thing, I am not sure I am fully committed to this level of physical exertion. I am also not sure exactly how much of it I could actually accomplish! So for now, I opted to order a less intense – yet still strenuous – workout tape to add to my library.
Let me be clear… I’ve got quite a few workout tapes that have probably become brittle in their box. Having the tools at your disposal to become physically fit does not automatically ensure results! You have to USE them! And I have actually used the last few I’ve purchased… with surprisingly good results. I feel more confident… healthier, and much better physically and mentally.
I’m no athlete, but I’ve learned that when I work at it, I can actually do things I never dreamed possible… like pushups and lifting weights while balancing on one foot! The trainer pushes me to do things I feel inadequate to perform… she knows better than I that I have the “stuff” to do this. She will say things like “I’ve got 400-lb. people who can do this… and so can you!” And she is right!
So often, we lack confidence in our faith walk. We have the God-given tools for success… He has given us the “stuff”… but we fail to put this to work in our own lives. It’s not that we lack confidence in GOD… we lack confidence in ourselves. God would not allow us to go through some of the things that challenge us if he didn’t know we what it takes to accomplish them and persevere. He may be telling us and showing us that we have what it takes to get surmount our problems and obstacles, but we have to believe Him and become people of action!
In this passage, we learn about one man, one prayer, and one cup. In the King James Version, Verse eleven ends with “For I was the king’s cup bearer.” Nehemiah recognizes he is only one man – and a mere servant at that! But with God’s power behind him, he knows that he can accomplish the work of many. And so he asks God to forgive him and his people for their sin, lack of faith and failure to be bold people of action. He reminds God of His promise to step in and care for His children as soon as they turn back to Him. And then He asked God for His help… to answer His prayers and meet his needs – and to make the King receptive to his requests.
Can I tell you something? We are a lot stronger than we think we are… mentally, physically, and spiritually. Never underestimate your abilities in any arena… most certainly when God is in the mix. If God allows you to have a workout of any kind, trust that things will work out! Recognize that even though you are one person, God can use you to accomplish big things… starting with your own health and wellbeing! You may be “just a cup-bearer”… but in God’s eyes, you have the capacity for great things.
What is your confidence level? Do you believe in yourself? More importantly, do you believe in God’s ability to use you to accomplish whatever He desires…in your own life and the lives of others? Remember… one man, one prayer, one cup. Examine your own life today and see where God is applying this principle. Are you rising to the occasion?
©2012 Debbie Robus
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