Nehemiah was cupbearer to the king (Artaxerxes), and when he heard about his home and the walls being broken down, he mourned for days. He was living in Susa, which is where the biblical narratives of Esther and Daniel take place. After four months of mourning, the king saw his “sadness of heart” (Ch 2:1). He traveled 900 miles to Jerusalem to see for himself what the city looked like. It was rubble.
In Ch 2:11, God “put into his heart” to do something. In Ch7:5, we see God “put into his heart” to assemble. In Ch 4:6, it says, “So we built the wall. And all the wall was joined together to half its height, for the people had a mind to work.” LAVE means “heart” and “mind”. God put something into the people. They completed the wall in 52 days – they had a mind to work!
Our feet follow our heart. When we have a passion for something, we do something about it! It doesn’t matter if others try to get in the way (Ch 4:14), because we have confidence in Him. When we obey, God is glorified.
Today is Take Root Sunday, and as the church, we are all challenged to do what we have a passion for in God’s Kingdom…for His glory.