SCRIPTURE: NEHEMIAH 2:5
“And I said to the king, ‘If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, then you send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers’ graves, that I may rebuild it.’”
OBSERVATION:
Nehemiah was in a pretty good situation when this story began. He was the king’s cupbearer, which was an honorable profession. Nehemiah probably never experienced lack in the king’s palace. It was probably one of the most comfortable situations he could have been in. The interesting thing is Nehemiah refused to live in comfort while others experienced hardship. He asked the king’s permission to leave his position to go to a rough place and work on a nearly impossible task. This is what sacrifice looks like.
As followers of Jesus, we have to be open to God calling us to change our lifestyles in order to serve people. Nehemiah left his comfortable position to make a difference During this Story Initiative faith journey, God will call us to do the same – to make sacrifices in our lifestyle so we can be generous people. What would happen if you changed your lifestyle a little to free yourself up financially to make a difference? We believe that the church will grow, and so will your faith in God. We never sacrifice anything without God moving in our lives. The simple fact is that a willingness to sacrifice is a picture of the cross in our lives. Jesus left heaven to save us, and our response should be the same.
APPLICATION:
Are you open to God asking you to change your lifestyle so that you can become more generous? Write your feelings down. This can be a hard process, but it needs to be an honest one. Open up your heart to God and process sacrifice together.
PRAYER:
“God, I am open to your leadership in every aspect of my life. Help me have a humble heart as I process sacrifice with you. Lead me as I make changes in my life to make a greater difference in your Kingdom. I love you, Lord.”