The Upper Room Daily Devotional from The United Methodist Church of Nashville, Tennessee, United States for Wednesday, 25 October 2017 "Stones in Our path" by Samantha Parsons - Nehemiah 2:1-8
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DAILY DEVOTIONAL FOR WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2017
Our land is called “Rock Hill Farm” because of its never-ending supply of large stones. These stones have proven to be a nuisance over the years, but they have also given our structures and land great strength. We always have a need for them.
Reflecting back over the past 34 years, I have identified other heavy “stones” in my path: hurtful words, rejection, fear of failure, isolation, illness. I have spent many years collecting these stones — piling them up and sulking over them in despair.
Nehemiah may have felt such despair when he heard that the walls of Jerusalem had been broken down and the gates burned. But he set out to rebuild the city walls and ultimately bring restoration to Jerusalem. Nehemiah’s path wasn’t easy, but he was able to take the stones of hate, pain, and despair, pile them up, and rebuild a great wall — which gave his people hope.
We might look at life and see many stones that have caused us great hurt and sadness, but we also have a choice: we can use them to build a tower of misery in our lives, or we can let God build great foundations of joyful lives that can give lasting hope to others.
TODAY'S PRAYER:
Loving Father, when we are hurting, help us to seek your comfort, healing, and direction. Amen.
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Nehemiah 2:1 In the month of Nisan in the twentieth year of Artach’shashta the king, it happened that I took the wine and brought it to the king. Prior to then I had never appeared sad in his presence. 2 The king asked, “Why do you look so sad? You’re not sick, so this must be some deep inner grief.” At this, I became very fearful, 3 as I said to the king, “May the king live forever! Why shouldn’t I look sad, when the city, the place where my ancestors’ tombs are, lies in ruins; and its gates are completely burned up?” 4 The king asked me, “What is it that you want?” I prayed to the God of heaven, 5 then said to the king, “If it pleases the king, if your servant has won your favor, send me to Y’hudah, to the city of my ancestors’ tombs, so that I can rebuild it.” 6 With the queen sitting next to him, the king asked me, “How long is your trip going to take? When will you return?” So it pleased the king to send me, and I gave him a time.
7 I then said to the king, “If it pleases the king, have letters given to me for the governors of the territory beyond the [Euphrates] River, so that they will let me pass through until I reach Y’hudah; 8 and also a letter for Asaf the supervisor of the royal forests, so that he will give me timber to make beams for the gates of the fortress belonging to the house, for the city wall and for the house I will be occupying.” The king gave me these, according to the good hand of my God on me.
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God can use the “stones” in my life to do great things.
Stone masons
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Header Photo Credit: "Harvested Land," Beth Shumate. August 15, 2014. (link)
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