by furaha nchimbi | 1 October 2022 08:46 pm10
In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, let us pause and reflect on one of Scripture’s most profound leadership lessons from the life of Nehemiah a man who teaches us what it means to carry a divine burden even when the journey becomes lonely and narrow.
Nehemiah was not a prophet, priest, or military leader. He served as a cupbearer in the Persian palace, yet when he heard that the walls of Jerusalem were in ruins, something ignited in his spirit. He wept, fasted, and prayed for days (Nehemiah 1:4).
This is where every divine assignment begins not with public recognition, but with a private burden. Throughout Scripture, God calls ordinary people from unexpected places: Moses from the wilderness, David from the fields, the disciples from their boats. The calling is not about our status; it is about God’s purpose at work within us (Philippians 2:13).
When Nehemiah reached Jerusalem, he did not rush into action. Instead, he spent three silent days observing and discerning. Then, under the cover of night, he inspected the broken walls with only a few companions (Nehemiah 2:12).
During this secret survey, he reached a narrow passage:
“There was no room for the animal under me to pass.”
Nehemiah 2:14
This moment symbolizes something deeply spiritual: there are places in our walk where our “animal”nour support systems, comfort, resources, titles cannot follow. There are seasons where the path becomes too narrow for anything except pure obedience. Like Jesus praying alone in Gethsemane or Paul abandoned at his trial, God sometimes leads us into a place where only He can sustain us.
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Once Nehemiah finished assessing the damage, he rallied the people:
“Come, let us build the wall.” (Nehemiah 2:17)
His actions mirror God’s heart expressed in Ezekiel 22:30, where He sought someone to “stand in the breach.” To stand in the breach is to intercede, to intervene, to repair what is spiritually collapsing. Christ Himself stood in the ultimate breach, becoming both our mediator and sacrifice.
Today, God still looks for men and women who will stand for holiness, truth, and restoration.
The moment rebuilding began, opposition arose. Nehemiah was mocked, and the workers faced threats. Yet they continuedtools in one hand, weapons in the other (Nehemiah 4:17–18). This reveals a timeless truth: building the Kingdom requires both construction and warfare. Spiritual resistance is guaranteed, but God’s grace is sufficient (2 Corinthians 12:9).
Despite the challenges, the wall was completed in just 52 daysn a testimony to what God can accomplish through obedient hearts.
Today, the “broken walls” may be young people losing faith, families without foundations, churches drifting from truth, or communities overwhelmed by injustice. The question is:
Will we rise and build even if it requires walking alone?
Let us commit to obey, to let go of what cannot follow us, and to serve God boldly.
“Be steadfast, immovable… knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.”
1 Corinthians 15:58
May God give us courage to walk where even the animal cannot pass.
Shalom.
Source URL: https://wingulamashahidi.org/ln/2022/10/01/there-was-no-room-for-the-animal-under-me-to-pass-a-call-to-personal-obedience/
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