Nehemiah was a visionary leader whose vision was from God! He did not have selfish ambition or dreams of making a name for himself.
Intercession leads into a blueprint
And it came to pass in the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was before him, that I took the wine and gave it to the king. Now I had never been sad in his presence before. 2 Therefore the king said to me, “Why is your face sad, since you are not sick? This is nothing but sorrow of heart.”
So I became [b]dreadfully afraid, 3 and said to the king, “May the king live forever! Why should my face not be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers’ tombs, lies waste, and its gates are burned with fire?”
4 Then the king said to me, “What do you request?” Nehemiah 2: 1-4
In chapter 2, Nehemiah came before the King, and the King noticed his sad face. The King asked Nehemiah why he was so sad. Nehemiah explained the condition of Jerusalem. This led to the King inquiring about Nehemiah’s request.
When God places a burden on our hearts for someone or a group of people, He often uses that burden to shape us into being part of the solution. Nehemiah had been praying and fasting for four months, during which the Lord was speaking to him. He understood that God had chosen him to carry this burden. Scripture does not tell us that Nehemiah was either hesitant or excited about the opportunity; he simply continued with the duties before him. When he appeared before the king, he did not make demands or forcefully present his case. Instead, he went about his ordinary work, and it was the king who noticed his sadness. The Lord opened the door for Nehemiah to address the very burden He had placed on his heart.
Blueprint Leads into Action
When the King asked Nehemiah what his request was, Nehemiah was prepared with a plan of action. All those days of intercession and fasting had given him the chance to hear from God and understand His plan for the Jews. Nehemiah had seen the blueprint. He requested permission to go to Jerusalem to help rebuild its walls, knowing exactly what materials were needed, the route he should travel, and the letters of permission required to pass through various territories. This marked the beginning of a journey that lasted several years in Nehemiah’s life.
In our culture, we admire and even idolize the concept of being a “leader.” Many people aspire to leadership positions. However, in the Bible, most leaders understood the weight of responsibility so deeply that leadership neither excited them nor made them proud. They served because they loved God and wanted to obey His call.
What is your perspective on leadership? Does being in a leadership role make you feel important and significant? Are you in leadership role solely to please Him? Would you willingly give it up if the Lord asked you to?
There is much to learn from Nehemiah and his leadership style. I will continue with this subject in the next devotional.