Don't Sway in the DelayNäide

From Pain to Purpose

Nehemiah had it made. As cupbearer to the Persian king, he enjoyed influence, security, and comfort in the palace.

Then devastating news arrived: Jerusalem’s walls lay in ruins, and God’s people were defenseless and disgraced. Though he’d never even lived in Jerusalem, having been born in captivity, Nehemiah’s heart broke for his people.

What do you do when life hurts? When the pain feels overwhelming? Nehemiah shows us three critical steps to move from pain to purpose.

First, find comfort in your pain. Nehemiah didn’t try to tough it out or distract himself. He sat down and wept. He mourned for days. And notice where he turned: “before the God of heaven.”

He brought his raw, honest pain directly to God through prayer and fasting. He stood on God’s promises, reminding the Lord of His word: “If you return to me and obey my commands, then even if your exiled people are at the farthest horizon, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for my Name” (Nehemiah 1:9).

Second, believe God has purpose in your pain. When the king asked what Nehemiah wanted, he had an answer ready: “Send me to the city in Judah...so that I can rebuild it” (Nehemiah 2:5).

His pain wasn’t pointless. It had a “so that” attached to it.

The Apostle Paul understood this principle too: God “comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God” (2 Corinthians 1:4).

Your pain has purpose beyond yourself.

Third, fulfill your purpose through your pain. Nehemiah didn’t just pray about the problem or talk about his burden. He took action. In a timeframe no one thought possible, the walls were completed in just 52 days. When the project finished, even enemies recognized “this work had been done with the help of our God” (Nehemiah 6:16).

Don’t let pain paralyze you. Like Nehemiah, bring it to God, discover His purpose in it, and step out in faith to fulfill that purpose.

Pray

Lord, I bring You my pain today. Comfort me in this hurt and show me Your purpose in it. Give me courage to step out and fulfill what You’re calling me to do. Amen.