God Knows the Solution

04 Jan God Knows the Solution

Read Nehemiah 1
Thought for the Day: Simple acts of obedience matter!

Hanani is a little-known Old Testament character. The Bible provides few details about his life. We do know that he traveled a thousand miles on a special mission to report on the condition of his homeland. The people of Judah had been in captivity, their capital lay in ruins, and Hanani’s journey was so he could deliver a report to his brother Nehemiah. Hanani was just an average guy, but his brother was the trusted personal servant to the King of Persia.

The Book of Nehemiah is the story of how Nehemiah prayed, had faith, and was willing to carry out God’s plan for the restoration of the city of Jerusalem. While Nehemiah’s role was important, it wouldn’t have been possible if his brother Hanani hadn’t walked a thousand miles to tell him what was happening back home. Just like generations before with Hanani’s ancestor Abraham, God’s solution required someone to take a long slow walk of faith. Like Abraham before him, Hanani obeyed and started walking.

Sometimes we think having faith requires us to do giant bold acts. After all, the Bible talks about confronting false prophets, surviving a lion’s den, and even walking on the water with Jesus. Although there may be times when God asks us to take huge steps of faith, most of the time, following God is far less dangerous. God is all-knowing. He knows the solution to every problem. Amazingly, the vast majority of God’s solutions involve small acts of obedience like delivering bread and cheese, accompanying someone when they are afraid to go alone, or being kind to a stranger. While we may not always know how God is working, we know that He wants us to trust and obey in simple ways every day!

In Christ,
Pastors Stan and David