Divine Burden

Nehemiah 1-7

Wednesday, May 13, 2026 | Brittany Everett

As I read through these chapters, I was amazed at how Nehemiah truly sought after our God in heaven. He fasted and prayed. He relied on the Holy Spirit, not on his emotions. He felt deeply, yet he did not act impulsively. There are many times a concern will come over me in a flash and then quickly pass. However, when it is from the Lord, it abides and grows. The burden remains until the problem that prompted it is addressed. Isn’t it beautiful how the Holy Spirit works when we allow Him to take over? (Romans 12:2).

Nehemiah heard of Jerusalem’s crisis condition. At this point in history, the people of Israel were in a desperate state. Their nation had been destroyed, first the northern kingdom and then the southern. Jerusalem had been conquered, and the once-glorious temple of Solomon lay in ruins. For seventy years, the city was nearly forgotten, like many ancient places that fade into history.

Yet Nehemiah’s heart was still there, even from 800 miles away. His heart was for the things of God, not for himself, but for others (1 Corinthians 10:24). If Jerusalem was special to God, then it was special to Nehemiah. That truth has felt especially heavy to me lately. I find myself praying that my heart would hurt for what hurts God’s heart.

Nehemiah carried a mindset that is both humbling and challenging: “Through me, God is going to correct a problem that has existed for generations. Through me, God is going to do something that once failed.” What faith. What obedience.

We must have a vision and a goal big enough that the trials of this world do not cause us to drift, but instead compel us to run our race well (Hebrews 12:1–3). Trials are not distractions from the mission—they are part of it. We are called to embrace them and to struggle well, knowing that God is at work through every difficulty (James 1:2–3).

May we be people who not only feel deeply but remain faithfully, allowing the burdens placed on our hearts by God to shape our prayers, our actions, and ultimately, our purpose.