Friday 28 Aug 2020

August 28: Nehemiah 2:1-3
 
Key Verse: Nehemiah 2:2
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.’ I was very much afraid

Devotion:
It’s OK to be sad! It’s OK to not feel like the soul of the party! It’s OK to be grumpy! Too many people have told me to always put on a brave face or to not be sad when I am; that is not good! We need to be aware of how the people around us are feeling and the only way of telling may well be if they look sad or upset. It’s our task to reach out to them and comfort them if they want comforting!
 
Nehemiah was very afraid of what could happen because he was a servant to the king. Kings were not known for caring for their slaves! But God made the king stop and look at what was happening; he then asked what was wrong and that gave Nehemiah the chance to open up and say what was on his heart.
 
If people around us do care, they will ask why and they will listen to why. They should then try to do something about the why! The king was well within his rights to ignore what was happening to the Jews back in Jerusalem because some of them were his slaves and servants. But God changed his heart to listen to what ailed Nehemiah and then to do something about it!
 
If we do not open up about what is bothering us, others will not be able to help out! We need to put away this want to always look good and to always try and make others feel good all the time. Sometimes we just have to be sad so others can care for us. Sometimes we do have to open up and allow other people in. Yes, it may hurt in the short term, but in the long run we will get the help we need!
 
Points to Ponder:
Do you try to keep your feeling to yourself all the time?
 
Have you tried opening up when there is another Christian around?