(REFLECTIONS ON Nehemiah 2:1-10)

Up to this point, Nehemiah had only heard about the city of Jerusalem, and had not yet set his own eyes on the city ruins. However, this was all that Nehemiah needed to stir his heart. Seeing would come afterwards. We often say that “seeing is believing,” but for Nehemiah he didn’t need to see to believe.

Instead of waiting to see in order to believe, Nehemiah prayed. He prayed and the Lord gave him an opportunity to share what was on his heart with the king. When we read about his interaction with the king in today’s Scripture, we see King Artaxerxes’ concern for Nehemiah. This concern led the king to ask Nehemiah, “What is it you want?

Shouldn’t it be the servant asking the king, “what is it you want?” How is it that Nehemiah had such favor with the king? It is an answer to Nehemiah’s prayer in Nehemiah 1, “Give your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man.” This man was King Artaxerxes.

Being asked by the king, “what is it you want?” Nehemiah again prayed and then he answered the king with his request. Yes, we often function in this world, even in our faith with the motto of “seeing is believing.” However, if we must see in order to believe, is that real faith?

Hebrews 11:1 defines faith for us, “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”

Faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see, not only when we see. Rather than living by the world’s standard of “seeing is believing,” may we as Nehemiah did, live instead by God’s standard of, “Believing is seeing.”

Yes, when we believe, our eyes are open, we are no longer amongst the spiritual blind of the world, but our hearts can see and experience the Lord by faith and not just by our own physical sight. Believing is seeing will allow us, like Nehemiah to be led by the burdens on our heart.

Believing is seeing will give us, through prayer, boldness as we face the world, just as Nehemiah had when he faced the king. So may we believe what is in our hearts, how the Lord is stirring our hearts, and may we respond in prayer.

May our prayers be that the Lord will show us favor as we are led by our hearts, and may we be able to see because of our belief, rather than believe only when we see.

Pastor Michael Lu
Enduring Word Bible Commentary: Nehemiah 2