"... So the king asked
me, “Why does your face look so sad when you are not ill? This can be nothing
but sadness of heart.” I was very much afraid..."
{Nehemiah 2:2} (NIV1984)
Historians
tell us, that in the ancient world, anyone who was sad in the presence of the
king would be punished. The king was the absolute ruler and no matter what was
wrong in your world, you were to be happy in his presence. If you were sad, it
reflected on your attitude toward him, that somehow his presence wasn’t
sufficient to cheer you.
Nehemiah was upset over the state of Jerusalem and
Artaxerxes noticed his sad face and identified it as sadness not illness, which
created fear for Nehemiah. What a difference between the King of Kings and
worldly kings! Our King tells us to come into His presence with our burdens and
sorrows. He tells us to bring all our anxiousness to Him. All our troubles, all
our burdens.
Have we done that this morning? Have we gone to Him with our troubles,
and laid them at His feet? Have we sat and pondered on the beauty of our King
and on His Wonderful grace and love in our lives? Then friend do so now. You
will leave His presence with joy in your heart, and a peace that is beyond
logic. What a King we have! What a Saviour!
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