The Magnitude of A Message

Few people are familiar with the Biblical figure Nehemiah, and yet he was instrumental in the rebuilding and reestablishment of Jerusalem in the fifth century B.C. following the Babylonian exile.

Nehemiah was a high official in the Persian court of King Artaxerxes I at the capital city of Susa, which lay 150 miles east of the Tigris River in what is now modern Iran. Nehemiah served as the king’s cup bearer (Nehemiah 1:11), which evidently put him in a position to speak to the king and request favors from him.

 I want to continue a thought that we looked at in last week's post, ("When Broken Becomes Beautiful: Click Here), and see another portion of the story in a way that you may not have seen before.

God gives Nehemiah a message of re-birth, renewal, and restoration and he is given a mission to deliver this message to his people through rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem.

The wall gets built in a record time of 52 days and the story has a great end, but i noticed something this time through that I had missed before.

It's easy to read this story and forget that Nehemiah was not an architect, a builder, a leader, or even a wood shop teacher for the local high school.

"...For I was the king's cupbearer."~ Nehemiah 1:11

He had probably one of the worst jobs in the entire land. He tasted the food and drink before the king in that safeguard that the royal dinner had not been poisoned. Think about that for a moment and let that sink in.

Any given day could be his last and every meal was his potential last meal because poisoning kings was a popular way to depose of them, hence the need for a cup bearer.

The message that God was using Nehemiah to deliver through the rebuilding of the wall was a powerful message of restoration, love and re-building of a place with God. The message was bigger than the task ahead of Nehemiah and the clue to this assignment was given in his very name, (See "Hello my name is" :Click Here) and we are about to see something fantastically relate able to us in this passage.

His name meant "Comfort of God" and God was literally going to bring the walking embodiment of His comfort to a people who were in the depths of despair and discouragement.

Have you ever felt that God had something to say to the world around you?

What is the message that you were meant to speak with you life? It is the common thread of every experience that you live and it is the line of thought that you always seem to work into every conversation that you have.

I remember the day that I discovered my message and that was probably one of the most transformational days of my life up to this point. Everything came into focus and my path seemed to illuminate in front of me. (You Had it All the Time: Click Here)

So what happened when size of the mission in your life seems overwhelming?

Always go back to your message.

The message is what gives you the motivation when the circumstances and the voices in your life seem to pose opposition to your purpose and it is keeping the message in front of you that will empower you to combat the opposition.

What is your message?

You were gifted with a viewpoint and understanding that is unique and you have been given, by God, in your message the solution to another persons problem. To hold back your voice is to hold back the solutions presentation that someone else has been praying for.

Do not let the size of the mission overcome the magnitude of the message.

"...For I was the king's cupbearer."~ Nehemiah 1:11

"It is not your station that qualifies you for an assignment in the Kingdom, it is your message that qualifies you."

Your message will always make room for your presence.

"A man's gift maketh room for him, and bringeth him before great men."
                                                                                                                  ~ Proverbs 18:16

Freely giving away what you have been freely given, in the way that you were made to give it away will open doors ahead for you to walk through in living out your purpose.

Station has NOTHING to do with your qualification for an assignment in the kingdom, it is your message that qualifies you. God has allowed plumbers, teachers, stay at home moms and people from every walk of life to accomplish significant steps in building His Kingdom.

"...For I was the king's cupbearer."~ Nehemiah 1:11

Nehemiah's presence gave comfort to his master and when the king demanded to know what troubled Nehemiah, he was shown favor by being equipped to the fullest in carrying out his message.

What have you been given?

You have been given LIFE by the King of Kings and He has given you a message to deliver. Ask The Holy Spirit to help you see that message if He has not already shown you and then use what you have to deliver that message. God will bring people across your path and open the doors you need in order to deliver that message.

Next week, we are going to look at something amazing in regards to identifying people God brings into your path to help you with delivering God's message with your life.

Climbing with you,
~Dan


*I talk about finding your message in greater detail in (Hello my Name is: Click Here).