What Has God Put Into Your Heart?

God Put It Into My Heart

Nehemiah 7:5 - “Then my God put it into my heart to assemble the nobles and the officials and the people to be enrolled by genealogy.”

Have you ever felt like the Lord put something on your heart? So often we desire a thunderous lightning bolt from heaven and the audible voice of God to tell us what to do in life or what direction to take. Although this is not impossible it is rarely the way God speaks.

During my later teenage years I was considering what I might do with my life and what path I should take in regard to a career. I remember one day I had a conversation with my dad about how he made the decision to become a farmer. I remember asking him, “Dad, did you feel like God was calling you to be a farmer?” He responded and said, “Yeah, it was something that was a strong desire of my heart.”

Now, I think it is obvious that not every desire of our heart is from God, but as we live lives submitted and yielded to him, I believe there are “God desires” that well up in our hearts and we should press into them. Take Nehemiah for example. Nehemiah was the cupbearer for King Artaxerxes of the Persians. Nehemiah heard that the walls of Jerusalem were destroyed and the city was vulnerable. It broke Nehemiah’s heart that the city of God was in this vulnerable situation. With the King’s blessing he went to Jerusalem and rebuilt the walls. After much opposition the walls were rebuilt. There was only one problem. There was no one living in the city. Once again Nehemiah’s heart broke. Where were God’s people? Who was going to live in the city? They had a city and walls for protection but only a few people lived in Jerusalem.

We read this incredible verse in chapter seven verse five. “Then the Lord put it in my heart.” The Lord put a strategy into the heart of Nehemiah, he would take a census. This would help him and give him a strategy in the repopulation of the Holy City.

I want to point out three takeaways from this one short sentence, “Then the Lord put it in my heart.” 

1. God speaks by putting things on our hearts.

We often over complicate the will of God in our lives or what direction we should  take. This is not to say that we should act foolishly and not consult wise counsel or spend much time in prayer, but often there is a desire in our hearts that the Lord has put there just waiting to be acted upon.

I have spent the last twenty years leading worship, whether that has been on a high school worship team, youth group, on full time staff as a worship pastor or many other avenues. This is something that God put in my heart as a young child growing up in church and kept on saying yes to this desire. God has opened up many doors and opportunities just by following the strong desire to lead the body of Christ in worship.

1. God Speaks into All Areas of Life

Nehemiah was a governor, he was not a priest or a prophet. He also served as a cupbearer for the King of Persia. Nehemiah was highly concerned with what was happening in Judah and the affairs of his people and God spoke to him in this regard.

I believe we are often misguided in our thinking and believe that God only wants to speak into certain areas of our lives or at certain times of our lives when making

a major life transition. Sometimes we believe that God only speaks to really spiritual

people who do really spiritual things, like live in the mountains and fast and pray all day long. Nehemiah took a census. It doesn’t seem super spiritual, but God spoke into this

area of life. A census worker.

It is no different with you in your place of work. Maybe you are a stay at home mom. A teacher, maybe you work in Tech or IT. Maybe a coffee shop or 7-11. Our work is Holy and God desires to speak into the things of our 9-5 Jobs. Whatever your profession, God is desiring and willing to speak into work situations. Maybe a conflict with your boss, maybe a broken relationship with a coworker. I believe that the Lord wants to bring solutions to problems at work. There are heavenly solutions to our earthly problems waiting to be released on the earth. Kingdom solutions to earthly problems just like Nehemiah’s situation. Know this today that God desires to speak into all areas of your life.

1. When God Speaks, Obedience is Necessary

Smith Wigglesworth, a British Evangelist said, "At the slightest whisper of his voice, I turn aside to obey.

God put it on the heart of Nehemiah to take a census of Jerusalem and the surrounding area so that the city of Jerusalem could be repopulated years after the people of God had gone into exile. Nehemiah walked in quick obedience to what the Lord was asking him to do.

Jesus said in John 14:15, “If you love me you will obey me.”

As we wait upon Him, listen to His voice and walk in quick obedience, there is no telling as to how God will move! It will often require steps of faith putting our complete trust in the Lord.

Hebrews 11:6 says, "And without faith, it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him."

What has the Lord put on your heart? How is he asking you to step into obedience and trust him completely?  Rest in this truth. He is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us.