Brokeness Nehemiah 1:4

 “When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven.” Nehemiah 1:4 (NIV)

This text calls attention to several questions every true believer must dare to answer.  First, what breaks your heart?  Nehemiah was not just moved when he heard about the plight of his country and countrymen, he was broken.  His heart was not just touched, it ached with pain.  His spirit was not just stimulated, it was shattered.  He sat down and wept bitterly over the things he had just heard.  The Hebrew text implies that this horrific news caused him to abruptly become torn and broken before God.  Have you experienced this same brokenness as you passed a homeless man on the street or witnessed a single mother struggle to feed her children?  Has your heart been shattered at the news of children who drink contaminated water, die of hunger, or remain uneducated in third world countries?  What have you seen or heard that caused abrupt and sudden brokenness in your life?
             The second question is what will you do about that which breaks your heart?  Nehemiah sat down and wept, he prayed and fasted continually for some time, through his shattered heart.  He was immediately moved to become spiritually involved.  His spiritual involvement then lead him to approach the king for permission to become physically involved in the situation.  Brokenness is worthless if we refuse to act.  Your shattered heart is God’s prompting for action.  Certain cases will demand only spiritual action such as praying and fasting for that which breaks your heart.  However, at times God will demand that you act physically as well.  This may entail going, giving, recruiting, fund raising, leading, serving, or even moving among other things.  There is no greater tragedy in all the world then a broken heart that is wasted when one refuses to respond with the action that God desires.