“I had not been sad in his presence before; so the king asked me, ‘Why does your face look so sad when you are not ill? This can be nothing but sadness of heart.’”
Nehemiah 1:1b-2
Nehemiah, cup bearer to the king of Persia had been deeply troubled for months following a report he had received about the city of Jerusalem. For months he had been serving the king with this pain on his heart and either Nehemiah was very good about putting on the “everything is fine” mask or the king just didn’t pay that much attention. But on this day the king noticed and asked Nehemiah what was causing such distress.
Nehemiah had been praying and fasting over this matter of Jerusalem since he learned of it - his heart was broken for a city he had never seen. God has broken his heart to prepare him for what He was about to have him do. But in order for Nehemiah to accomplish his task the king would have to be involved. God opened the king’s heart so he could see Nehemiah’s pain and because he could see it he responded with compassion.
Jesus was intentional about looking for the pain in the lives of the people he encountered, the woman at the well, the one caught in adultery, the tax collectors who were despised, the sick, lonely and abandoned. His Father had given him a heart that sees a heart that responded with compassion.
Are you in pain, needing someone to see your distress and respond with compassion? Is there someone in your life who could help but doesn’t seem to see what you are going through? Pray that God would open the heart of that person to see. Maybe life is good for you right now - maybe you are that person that might be able to help. Allow God to open your heart so that it can see the pain surrounding you.
As followers of Christ we are called to do the things that Christ did. He acted because He had a heart that could see the brokenness of the lives around Him. Ask that the Holy Spirit grant you a heart that can see and then respond the way Jesus would have with compassion and love.
A Prayer
Father - Thank you for having a heart that sees us. Put people in our lives who have hearts that see us when we hurt, when we are broken and who will respond with compassion and love. Give us hearts that can see the brokenness around us and help us to act with compassion and love. In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen.
I think it was about this time of year when you came into my life, when I asked you to pray with me for the turmoil I was going through. I thank God for putting you in my path, and for your heart that saw how distressed I was ... that I needed a friend. Thank you Leann for being such a friend, and for having such a heart for me and for the world.
ReplyDeleteGBU, Carolyn
You are right it was this time of year. So glad that I was able to make a difference then and now.
ReplyDelete