Restart: Stepping Out in FaithSample

NOW IS THE TIME—READY, SET, GO! It’s amazing what prayer set in motion in the life of Nehemiah. Like the iconic leader Martin Luther King Jr., Nehemiah had a dream—that of seeing his beloved city Jerusalem restored, fortified and secure. It was the place where God had chosen to dwell. The fact that the wall and gates of this once great city were in disrepair was a disgrace to Nehemiah’s God. It had caused the enemies of the Jewish people to mock them. Nehemiah had a plan and there was no question that he believed it would succeed. “We must rebuild the city wall so that we can again take pride in our city,” he asserted. There was no wavering in his tone. As he unfolded the plan he had kept secret, he credits God’s favor and the king’s benevolence for his success thus far. No wonder he got a unanimous vote of confidence. We cannot be double-minded in our approach. Success comes when we commit our plans to God and join our heart and hands together. What dreams lie in their infancy within you? Can you be patient enough to hold them secret until it’s time for them to be birthed? How can you tell when it is the right time to unveil your plans? Consider the senior citizens in your midst. They sometimes procrastinate because of memory lapses or because they have difficulty understanding. Find a social service agency employee who would be willing to explain how various senior programs work, and who would help senior adults become enrolled, engaged and looked after. Pray: Lord, sometimes it seems I am too busy to stop and help someone in need. Slow me down, Lord. Let me not procrastinate, but do it now!