http://i799.photobucket.com/albums/yy280/ICAdoral/Born%20for%20this%20DEVOTIONAL%20banner_zpsngjdzfbm.jpg

Tuesday March 1, 2016

If you think you have a great idea, do not tell anyone, at least not initially. People might begin to think you are crazy. Ideas take time to develop. The same is true concerning God’s divine purpose; it takes time to develop. One of the biggest mistakes you can make is to share your idea prematurely. The people with whom you share your idea may not be as excited as you are, they might even think you are wasting your time. God wants to lead you through the process of clearly understanding what you are going to have to deal with before you share His purpose for your life with others.

God birthed in Nehemiah the vision to go to Jerusalem and rebuild its fallen walls. There was one problem. Nehemiah was cupbearer to the King of Persia; chances were slim to none that he would ever get the opportunity to fulfill his vision. However, through divine intervention, Nehemiah would be on his way to Jerusalem to rebuild the city walls. Nehemiah arrived in Jerusalem unannounced accompanied by soldiers of the Persian army, he had letters from the King granting him authority, and brought loads of materials for the project. One would think the first thing Nehemiah would do would be to shout, attention, attention! It seems reasonable that he would announce to the people of Jerusalem the purpose for his visit. However, this is not what he did.

Nehemiah 2:11-16 NLT

So I arrived in Jerusalem. Three days later, I slipped out during the night, taking only a few others with me. I had not told anyone about the plans God had put in my heart for Jerusalem. We took no pack animals with us except the donkey I was riding. After dark I went out through the Valley Gate, past the Jackal’s Well, and over to the Dung Gate to inspect the broken walls and burned gates. Then I went to the Fountain Gate and to the King’s Pool, but my donkey couldn’t get through the rubble. So, though it was still dark, I went up the Kidron Valley instead, inspecting the wall before I turned back and entered again at the Valley Gate. The city officials did not know I had been out there or what I was doing, for I had not yet said anything to anyone about my plans. I had not yet spoken to the Jewish leaders—the priests, the nobles, the officials, or anyone else in the administration.

It is strange that Nehemiah did not initially tell anyone why he was there. Nehemiah did something most of us would have never done; he walked before he talked. Nehemiah fully inspected the situation before proclaiming his purpose. More than likely, upon inspection, Nehemiah discovered that the situation was worse than what he had projected. It is one thing to hear about and see the problem. It is another thing to inspect, study, and analyze the situation.

Divine purpose requires divine intervention, and divine intervention requires dependence on God. When you engage in the inspection process, then you will truly comprehend the magnitude of what it is you will have to deal with; you will see that it is greater than what you initially thought. It is through this process however, that you will learn that you will need to depend on God from start to finish.