Pray the Word with David Platt is a resource from Radical.net.

Nehemiah chapter 2, verse 8, and the king granted me what I asked, for the good hand of my God was upon me.

I love that phrase, that explanation that Nehemiah gives.

And we see this at different points in the book

of Nehemiah, this reference to the good hand of God. But if you don't know all of Nehemiah

chapter 2, what happens is Nehemiah goes in before the king, King Artaxerxes, to risk his life,

basically, asking for permission to leave his post,

his cup bearer to the king, and go rebuild the walls around Jerusalem.

And I mean, there's all kinds of drama and tension in this chapter.

But verse 8 just jumps to the end of the story and says, The King granted me what I asked for. So notice what Nehemiah doesn't say.

He doesn't say, the King granted me what I asked because I was really smart in the way I asked it.

Or the King granted me what I asked because he was really impressed

with all the great work I had done as cup bearer.

And so he trusted me

or the king granted me what I asked because well he doesn't say anything but this for the good

hand of my God was upon me like he gives all the credit to the good hand of God neemiah knows what we all need to know that everything in our lives

hinges on the good hand of God on us. We can do nothing good, apart from his good hand. He's the author, the giver of everything that's good.

This is why I find myself just saying all the time, just in everyday conversation,

like, by God's grace, this, or by God's grace, that.

Because I know, I know, and I want to remind myself,

I want to remind myself at all times that anything good in my life,

anything good around me is all by God's grace because of God's goodness.

...