HERE AM I, USE ME
Turn in your Bibles to Nehemiah 1, and stick your Bible ribbon or bookmark there, and then turn to Matthew 25.
I was actually developing this teaching for our leadership when God spoke to my heart, telling me that this message was not only for leadership, but for everyone who calls themselves a believer in Jesus Christ, and part of what it means to elevate to the next level.
One of the greatest needs in the church today is for people who will not only serve, but also lead—people who will invest themselves in the lives of others to help them become everything God has created them to be. Basically, the church needs those who will invest their time and energy in serving God by serving others.
Jesus gave us a powerful picture of this in Matthew 25:
“For I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.”
And when the righteous asked when they had done these things for Him, Jesus answered, “Inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.” (Matthew 25:34-40 NKJV)
As I look at Nehemiah’s first actions upon hearing of the condition of Jerusalem and the Jewish people, I see four things that separate him, not only as a leader, but as a person God uses.
1. GOD PLACES PEOPLE WHERE HE CAN USE THEM
At this time, Nehemiah was King Artaxerxes’ cupbearer. This was not the lowly position movies sometimes depict. It was a high and trusted position in the royal court. Daily, Nehemiah put his life on the line to keep the king safe.
So when God needed someone to accomplish something, such as rebuilding the wall around Jerusalem, He had His person in the right position at the right time.
Only Nehemiah, in this trusted position, could command the king’s attention and bring the Jewish plight in Jerusalem before him. You might say, he had the king’s ear.
We see this throughout Scripture. Joseph was second to Pharaoh and was positioned there to save the Jewish people. David was simply delivering groceries to his brothers when he heard Goliath’s challenge and, through the Lord, defeated him.
God always has His people exactly where He needs them to be for His kingdom purposes.
Henry Blackaby said, “Watch and see where God is working and join Him.”
Jesus said, “My Father has been working until now, and I have been working… the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do.” (John 5:17, 19-20)
Nehemiah mourned, fasted, and prayed for God’s guidance because he realized God had placed him there for this purpose. God has each of us right where He wants us for this specific time and season. We simply have to listen to what the Lord is saying.
2. GOD USES PEOPLE HE CAN TRUST
Nehemiah’s position as cupbearer demonstrated the tremendous trust the king placed in him. He was so trustworthy that the king entrusted him with his own life.
Those God uses are people who can be trusted with the little things and who do them with a spirit of excellence. If God can’t trust us in the little things, then He’ll never use us in the bigger things.
Jesus said, “Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things.” (Matthew 25:23)
Consider Joseph. He was a slave in Potiphar’s household, but he became so trustworthy that Potiphar put him in charge of everything. Even after being falsely accused and imprisoned, Joseph remained faithful and trustworthy. Eventually Pharaoh made him second in command.
Can we be trusted by God? One test is how we handle the money and possessions He has given us.
Jesus said, “If you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?” (Luke 16:11)
David understood this when he said, “For all things come from You, and of Your own we have given You.” (1 Chronicles 29:14)
When we seek first God’s kingdom and righteousness, our priorities change. The world and its possessions are temporary, while God’s kingdom and righteousness are eternal. We are pilgrims passing through, and everything else comes after God’s kingdom.
3. GOD USES PEOPLE WHO ARE SENSITIVE TO OTHERS’ NEEDS
Nehemiah recognized that the people were defenseless because Jerusalem’s wall was broken down and its gates burned. Seeing their condition, Nehemiah sat down and wept.
What was breaking the heart of God was breaking Nehemiah’s heart.
When we see the condition of this world, people’s lives, and even the church, our hearts should be moved with compassion.
William Booth, founder of the Salvation Army, once told two struggling officers who felt nothing was working as they tried to reach people with the gospel, “Try tears.” When they did, revival broke out.
Bob Pierce, founder of World Vision, expressed this same heart: “Let my heart be broken with the things that break the heart of God.”
Jesus demonstrated this compassion when He encountered a widow whose only son had died. Seeing her grief, Jesus had compassion on her and met her deepest need. (Luke 7:13)
Every day God places people in our lives who are consumed with pain. Friends, neighbors, families, and even strangers may be carrying tremendous burdens. God is calling us to stop being so busy with our own lives and respond to the needs of others with genuine compassion.
4. GOD USES PEOPLE WHO ARE AVAILABLE
When Nehemiah learned of Jerusalem’s condition, he didn’t say, “Let others do it. I’ve got it comfortable here in the palace.”
Instead, his response was essentially, “Here am I, send me.”
Nehemiah wasn’t even a carpenter. But God had given him organizational skills, and he used those skills to organize the people and rebuild the wall in only 52 days, even under hostile conditions.
We might say, “I’m not trained,” “I’m not qualified,” or “I don’t speak well.”
But God isn’t looking for our ability; He is looking for our availability. If our heart is to be a servant, God will give us what we need, just as He did with Nehemiah.
Jesus said, “The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few.” (Luke 10:2)
So will we respond like Nehemiah and Isaiah and say, “Here am I, send me,” or “Here am I, use me”?
CONCLUSION
God uses ordinary people—people like you and me—to do extraordinary things for His Kingdom.
God is bringing people into our lives who need healing from the wounds inflicted by this world, encouragement, the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, and growth in their faith. He brings them to us so that we can invest ourselves in their lives and help them become everything He has called them to be.
God has placed us here, at this time and for such a purpose. He trusts us to be faithful, to be sensitive to the needs of others, and to serve God by serving them.
And so, may we be people who are willing to say:
“Here am I, Lord. Use me.”
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