How to Recognize a Real ManSample

Day Five – Divine Connections

God is all about connecting people. In Nehemiah’s case God used a secular king, his boss. The king wasn’t even an Israelite, but he was moved by Nehemiah’s passion.

King Artaxerxes noticed his chief employee was deeply troubled. When he asked him, “What’s up? Why are you so downcast?” Nehemiah was moved to tell him the truth of what God had put in his heart.

Now that was a risky move. Artaxerxes had the power to execute him then and there for even thinking about leaving.

Nehemiah told the king not only why he was grieving but also what God put in his heart to do and then what it would take to make it a reality—time off from work, money, food, horses, guards, timber, tools, and letters of introduction.

Nehemiah asked the king to fund the project! And Artaxerxes agreed! It was clearly a God thing.

So Nehemiah traveled to Jerusalem. The people there caught Nehemiah’s vision and rallied around him. It was as if they had been waiting for someone like him to rise up and take the lead. His attitude and faith were infectious.

They got to work and overcame ridicule, distractions, skepticism, and physical resistance. The wall was rebuilt in record time—fifty-two days! After its completion enemies and skeptics alike were amazed. They concluded that only God could have done it (Neh. 6:16).

Don’t try to limit whom God uses. The people He connects you with may look, talk, or act completely differently from what you expected or even prayed for. But don’t miss out on the people God has sent to bless you just because it pushes you out of your comfort zone. There is power in one, but rarely does God use loners.

Was this plan helpful to you? It was adapted from my book Take It Back: Reclaiming Biblical Manhood for the Sake of Marriage, Family, and Culture.