There is a time and a season for everything said Solomon in Ecclesiastes, and sure enough no matter how long it may take for things to change they will without anyone provoking it. Sometimes, we desire change and for things to get better and we wanted it at a set time or day, but for some reason most of the times it does not happen. Life is not fair for a good number of us, things do not always turn out the way we expect it. However, faith always keeps us waiting and expecting a change (Ro4:16), we continue believing even though things do not look good. God has this thing called faithfulness that keeps him on check on fulfilling his promises. David said “for I always have been mindful of your unfailing love and have lived in reliance on your faithfulness”(ps26:3). He also said that God’s faithfulness reaches the skies (ps57:10), David knew that God always came through for him. No matter how hopeless a situation may look God has deemed a time to deal with it, and he deals with it in his own style and by his own peculiar way. Even as to use the oddest person such as a cup-bearer, God will work.
Nehemiah 2:17-18
Then I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace.” 18 I also told them about the gracious hand of my God on me and what the king had said to me.
They replied, “Let us start rebuilding.” So they began this good work.
Now, Jerusalem and the people of Israel had gone through a devastation like no other; the city was burned down, its walls torched and the people who survived the exile were back at the city. And, Nehemiah had heard from one of his friends this bad news of which turned his stomach upside down; the worst news he’d heard for a while. It was bad enough for Nehemiah that he had been selected to be the cup bearer for the king, which meant that before the king drank anything he had to tasted it for poison. So, Nehemiah had it bad, I guess that is how God works he takes the weak to save the weak (2Cor12:10), Paul said that when he is in weakness is when he is strong. Nehemiah sought out permission from the king to go and restore the city and the people he loved, and that he got. God gave him favor after he prayed to obtain the permission and letters he needed to go and restore Jerusalem. The Jews did not know that this was going to happen and while they were in oppression, God was working out a plan for restoration for them. Psalm 91 says that he that dwells in the secret places of the Most High will abide under the shadow of the Almighty (ps91:1). And, when we make it accustom to be in the secret places of God; those unwanted situation, painful, ugly, will be shadowed to where ever a need may be.
Nehemiah’s mission was ultimately to encourage his fellow Jews and to get up and become part of the restoration process. And, when they finally began to work on restoring they found themselves working with one hand and holding sword with the other. Our struggles are said to be against principalities from the outer darkness, therefore we need to make sure that we pick up the sword and fight to achieve what we are waiting for.