Take a Risk

Scripture: Neh 2:1-5 (NIV) 1 In the month of Nisan in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was brought for him, I took the wine and gave it to the king. I had not been sad in his presence before; 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, 3 but I said to the king, "May the king live forever! Why should my face not look sad when the city where my fathers are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?" 4 The king said to me, "What is it you want?" Then I prayed to the God of heaven, 5 and I answered the king, "If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favor in his sight, let him send me to the city in Judah where my fathers are buried so that I can rebuild it."

Background: Nehemiah was the cup bearer to the King. This was a position of trust, for one of the easiest ways to dispose of a King in the ancient world was to poison him. At this time in world history--the Persian Empire was second to none and the word of the King was absolute. It was in the court of the most powerful man in the world that Nehemiah made a request to rebuild the city of Jerusalem. This is a remarkable request when you consider that the inhabitants of Jerusalem would have been considered former enemies of the Persian Kingdom.

Observations: Are you willing to take a risk? Sometimes, in order to accomplish something important we have to take a risk. Unlike Nehemiah, our lives are not usually on the line when we take a risk; however we do face the possibility of rejection and the fear of rejection is too often the deterrent that keeps us from trying. But, what if taking a risk is necessary?

When it comes to our Christian values we often talk about the role of encouragement. "Encouragement" is literally speaking words that build up the courage that is resident in our hearts. Courage is necessary if we are going to take a risk. Courage takes a look at risk with a huge dose of hope; therefore, we step out of our comfort zone and put ourselves in harm's way, because we are hoping to accomplish something that could not have been done without some risk.

In Nehemiah's case, he risked his life to bring his request before the King of Persia and he was rewarded with favor.

Prayer: "Dear Father, You are the creator of heaven and earth, and all power, glory and honor belongs to You. You are the reason I have hope. You are the reason that I believe that all things are possible. You are the reason I can reach out beyond my comfort zone. Thank you for the gift of courage. In those times that I shy away from the leading of Your Spirit--bring a fresh wave of courage so that I can accomplish the works that You have prepared for me to do."