The power of Observation

"In the m onth of Nisan, in the 20th year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was served him, I carried the wine and gave it to the king. Now, I had never been sad in his presence before. So the king said to me, 'Why is your face sad, since you are not sick? This can only be sadness of the heart.'"

(Nehemiah 2:1-2)

Various women over the course of my life have taught me the importance of noting when a lady has done work on her hair (new cut or style, perm, etc.). So I'm not "trained" to ask, "Did you do something with your hair? It looks nice!" The power of observation.

In the 2nd chapter of Nehemiah, the king of Babylon has this power - and he observes that his wine steward is sad for the first time ever! When asked about it, he mentions it must be "sadness of the heart." A sadness that's separate from just feeling ill. Great observation skills! Nehemiah would cautiously share what was paining his heart, and the king would eventually send him "home" to Israel to repair the gates of his beloved city of Jerusalem (which was his concern).

This challenges me to be even more observant of people and their emotions. Who knows how god might use me when I inquire of another's spirit?! The king in today's story was able to be a blessing to Nehemiah, and indirectly, to all of Israel. All because he made an observation & asked about it. It's as simple as that.

PRAYER: Help me be aware & observant of others, Lord. And then remind me to ask people when things seem a bit out of place. Maybe you'll give me a chance to be a blessing to someone in need!?! AMEN.