Nehemiah 1,2
The Return Home

A Broken Heart
 
“(Nehemiah’s brother came back from visiting Jerusalem and told him)  'Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire.' When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven." Nehemiah 1:3-4

Does your heart break for other Christians?

In 538 BC, Cyrus of Persia released 50,000 Jews back to their homeland in Judea, the southern kingdom. They were led by Zerubbabel along with Haggai. Years later a second wave returned under the leadership of Ezra. It was after that that Nehemiah returned. Although the temple had been rebuilt and the teaching of scripture was being revived, the wall around Jerusalem was in disrepair, a very, very big deal in the ancient near east.  

And Nehemiah wept at the thought. In Suza, Nehemiah was an important official, trusted and comfortable. Yet his welfare was not his concern. His concern was his people, God’s people.  

I wonder about myself. Never have Christians been so systematically persecuted. The 20th century was bloodier than all prior centuries combined. Is our comfort as Christians a blessing or a curse? Does my comfort allow me to weep over fellow believers dying in Pakistan, Egypt, Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran, Nigeria and China? Or does comfort lead to coarseness? Why do I not weep at Saudi Arabia’s using its wealth to ship curricula all over the Muslim world which teaches death to Christians? 

Prayer

"Lord, please give me the gift you gave Nehemiah. He wept for people he hardly knew. Break my heart with the things that break your heart. Amen”