1. He cared enough to ask (Neh. 1:1–3) Nehemiah was a cupbearer to the ruler of
Persia. A cupbearer was a position of great responsibility and privilege. At each meal, he tested the king’s wine. A man who stood that close to the king had to be handsome, cultured, knowledgeable in procedures, and able to converse and advise him. Because he had access to the king, the cupbearer was a man of great influence, which he could use for good or for evil.
Why would Nehemiah ask about a struggling remnant who lived hundreds of miles away? A century and a half before, the Prophet Jeremiah: “For who will have pity on you, O Jerusalem? Or who will bemoan you? Or who will turn aside to ask how you are doing?” (Jer. 15:5) Nehemiah was the man God had chosen to do those very things!
Some people prefer not to know what’s going on, because information might bring obligation. Nehemiah asked about Jerusalem because he had a caring heart. Closing our eyes and ears to the truth could be the first step toward tragedy for ourselves as well as for others.
What did Nehemiah learn about Jerusalem and the Jews? Three words summarize the bad news: remnant, ruin, and reproach. Instead of a great nation, only a remnant of people lived there; and they were in great affliction and struggling to survive. Instead of a magnificent city, Jerusalem was in shambles; and where there had once been great glory, there was now reproach.
Are we like Nehemiah, anxious to know the truth even about the worst situations? When we read missionary prayer letters, see dying churches in town, do we want the facts, and do the facts burden us? Are we the kind of people who care enough to ask?

2. He cared enough to weep (Neh. 1:4) What makes people laugh or weep is often an indication of character. People who laugh at others’ mistakes or misfortunes, or who weep over trivial personal disappointments, are lacking either in culture or character, and possibly both. Sometimes weeping is a sign of weakness; but with Nehemiah. In fact, Nehemiah was like the Lord Jesus in that he willingly shared the burden that was crushing others.
When God puts a burden on your heart, don’t try to escape it; for if you do, you may miss the blessing He has planned for you. The Book of Nehemiah begins with “great affliction” (Neh. 1:3), but before it closes, there is great joy (8:12, 17). “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning” (Ps. 30:5). Our tears water the “seeds of providence” that God has planted on our path; and without our tears, those seeds could never grow and produce fruit.
Nehemiah spent several days fasting, weeping, and praying. He knew that somebody had to do something to rescue the city, and he was willing to go.

3. He cared enough to pray (Neh. 1:5–10) This prayer begins with ADORATION (1:5). To what kind of a God do we pray when we lift our prayers? We pray to a “great and awesome God” (Neh. 1:5), who is worthy of our praise and worship. If you are experiencing great affliction (v. 3) and are about to undertake a great work, then you need the great power, great goodness, and great mercy of a great God. Is the God you worship big enough to handle the challenges that you face?
The greater part of Nehemiah’s prayer was devoted to CONFESSION of sin (1:6–7). The God who promised blessing and chastening also promised forgiveness if His people would repent.
This humble prayer has REMBERANCE (1:8-9) THANKSGIVING (1:10) and closed with SUPPLICATION (Neh. 1:11). To begin with, he had confidence in the power of God. Nehemiah knew that he was too weak to rebuild Jerusalem, but he had faith that God would work on his behalf.
He also had confidence in God’s faithfulness. He had redeemed them from Egypt (Ex. 14:13–31) and had also set them free from bondage in Babylon. Would He not, in His faithfulness, help them rebuild the city? Nehemiah had confidence that God would raise up other people to help him in his work. He was sure that many other Jews were also praying and that they would rally to the cause once they heard that God was at work.

4. He cared enough to volunteer (Neh. 1:11) God does “exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us (Eph. 3:20). If God is going to answer prayer, He must start by working in the one doing the praying! He works in us and through us to help us see our prayers answered.
While Nehemiah was praying, his burden for Jerusalem became greater and his vision of what needed to be done became clearer. Real prayer keeps your heart and your head in balance so your burden doesn’t make you impatient to run ahead of the Lord and ruin everything. As we pray, God tells us what to do, when to do it, and how to do it; and all are important to the accomplishing of the will of God.
Nehemiah planned to volunteer to go to Jerusalem to supervise the rebuilding of the walls. He didn’t pray for God to send somebody else, nor did he argue that he was ill-equipped for such a difficult task. He simply said, “Here am I—send me!”
The cupbearer would have to sacrifice the comfort and security of the palace for the rigors and dangers of life in a city. Luxury would be replaced by ruins, and prestige by ridicule and slander. And with the help of God, he did it! In fifty-two days, the walls were rebuilt, the gates were restored, and the people were rejoicing! And it all started with a man who cared.
Abraham cared and rescued Lot from Sodom (Gen. 18–19). Moses cared and delivered the Israelites from Egypt. David cared and brought the nation and the kingdom back to the Lord. Esther cared and risked her life to save her nation from genocide. Paul cared and took the Gospel throughout the Roman Empire. Jesus cared and died on the cross for a lost world.
God is still looking for people who care, people like Nehemiah, who cared enough to ask for the facts, weep over the needs, pray for God’s help, and then volunteer to get the job done.
“Here am I, Lord—send me!”