Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

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Crossing the boundary of our comfort zones
Neh. 2:1-6
And I said to the king, "If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor before you, send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers' tombs, that I may rebuild it." (2:5 )
Nehemiah was a cup bearer to a foreign king in his palace. His position shows that he is a person with faithfulness and integrity. King appoints only somebody who can be trusted and who is faithful to him. So Nehemiah was in comfortable position enjoying all the comforts in a palace and he does not have to think what happens to his brothers and sisters and to his home land. But he used his position and his relationship with the king for the deliverance of his own brothers and sisters and the reconstruction of his own city.
Nehemiah was a true patriot whose dreams for the future were motivated by the values of the past.
Not only had Nehemiah prayed for this opportunity, but he had also planned for it and had his answer ready. During those four months of waiting, he had thought the matter through and knew exactly how he would approach the project. His reply to the king can be summarized in two requests: "Send me!" (Neh 2:4-6) and "Give me!" (vv. 7-10) King Artaxerxes gave him what he asked, Nehemiah is good example who shows how to use our power and authority for the betterment of our brothers and sisters. He could have easily enjoyed the privileges and used it for the improvement of his own wealth and positions. But he wanted to go from a comfort zone to a problem zone. When we read further we understand that his job was not very easy and he had to struggle to accomplish it.
Today many of us don’t want to break the comfort zones we are in and to go to a problem zone that requires our attention and intervention. We are all carried away by the comforts we enjoy today and don’t want to break it. But here is a person who broke the comfort zone and went to the problem zone. To move from this comfort zone we need a strong faith and trust in the Almighty. Nehemiah’s life is an example in front of us about how God has been wonderful and faithful when he moved from the comfort zone to the problem zone. Nehemiah also used his comfort zone for the wellbeing of his brothers and sisters and for his broken home land. Our comforts and blessings are to be used for the ‘other’ and for the well being of the whole nation. If we have faith in God and wants to move from our comfort zones, our God is with us and we can transform the problem zones too. Are our comforts, of safety and security, financial stability, education opportunities, travelling facilities, so on and so forth, pulling us back or pushing us forward in our spiritual journey?

Prayer: God of blessings, thank you lord for the privileges that we enjoy in our lives. Help us to use that for the wellbeing of others.
Thought for the Day: Let us cross the boundaries of our comfort zones

Rev. V. M. Mathew, New York

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