Nehemiah, the pious and zealous patriot who led the Jews in the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem at their return from the captivity in Babylon, was greatly used of the Lord in the work of reformation among His people. Although a Jew of distinction, holding the eminent office of cup-bearer to the Persian king, he was moved with deep concern and disinterestedness for the returned remnant of his fellow Jews, making great personal sacrifices and enduring much suffering on their account. Yet the credit for the motives that inspired him in all this he humbly attributed to God by his use of the words "God put it in my heart." (Neh.2.12;7.5).

This mission of Nehemiah nevertheless depended upon the agreement of King Artaxerxes, and the favourable decision made by the king must have been put into his heart also by God. This was true of the earlier commission given to Ezra the priest₁ and he acknowledged this in his prayer of thanksgiving. "Blessed be the Lord God of our fathers which hath put such a thing as this in the king's heart to beautify the house of the Lord which is in Jerusalem and hath extended mercy unto me before the king and his counsellors and before all the king's mighty princes" (Ezra 7.27,28).

How often in our experiences we have a sudden impulse to say or to do some kind and thoughtful thing from which we afterwards derive a quiet satisfaction and joy. But do we too readily assume that it has arisen from some innate goodness of our own instead of recognising that God put it in our heart? On the other hand we receive an unexpected reception or some unforeseen treatment from somebody that we thought would react in a quite different way towards us, and we give them the credit and forget that God put it in their heart so to speak or act.

We al1 think or say many foolish things but occasionally manifest an unusual wisdom. Does God not put that in our heart? In the carrying out of His instructions regarding the construction of the tabernacle, God put wisdom in the hearts of the workers (Ex.31.6; 35.34; 36.2). The wisdom of Solomon that all the world sought to hear was put into his heart by God (1 Kings 10.24). We may be sure that God. who "hath shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of Gad in the face of Jesus Christ" is alone the true source of wisdom₁ and any wisdom that springs inherently from ourselves is foolishness to Him.

God can control the heart whether the possessor is willing or not. Those who walk after the imagination of their own evil hearts are just as surely under His restraint. Mysterious as the unlimite4 license of the wicked may sometimes appear to be, it is not only under God's control but is also working out a purpose for the benefit of His people and His plan of salvation, that eventually will be understood in all its wisdom. How strange otherwise would be those words "God hath put in their hearts to fulfil His will and to agree and give their kingdom to the beast until the words of God shall be fulfilled" (Rev.17.17). Men do not have to be Christians for God to put things into their hearts. He so overrules their motives that He causes them to do the very thing that will result in a blessing to those who are looking to Him for help.

God put things into the hearts of despotic eastern monarchs who did not acknowledge Him that He might effect His purpose on behalf of those who did. He brought Joseph to the remembrance of the chief butler by means of Pharaoh's dreams (Gen. 41.9) also causing Pharaoh to raise up Joseph from prison and elevate him to the throne. The queen was used to remind Belshazzar of Daniel when the mysterious writing appeared upon the palace wall (Dan.5.11). By means of a sleepless night (Esther 6:1) king Ahasuerus was reminded of a forgotten service that in the wisdom of God had remained till then unrewarded. As a result Mordecai and his nation were delivered from death and their enemies were destroyed.

We may plan to serve God and make an immense effort to do so, but unless we possess a humble and submissive spirit we shall accomplish nothing. We need to wait patiently for God's time and method and be ready when He calls to us to do His will. Then He will put it in our heart to perform whatever insignificant task He has appointed for us to do, or He will put it in someone else's heart to ask us to do it. We too often neglect to allow for this method by which God uses others in our behalf. There are many instances in the prayer lives of God's children where some unexpected person, who knew nothing whatever about their circumstance, was moved to do the very thing of which they were in need. It was often done unconsciously providing the exact sum of money that was required to meet the particular emergency. God put it into their hearts to answer quite unwittingly the prayers and wants of those who were calling upon Him. Do not the varied experiences in our own lives, covering many other things than material needs, confirm this wonderful truth?

Although God sent faintness and fear of their enemies into the hearts of His disobedient people Israel in the lands of their dispersion (Lev.26.36). He promised that He would put His fear in their hearts in the time when He will recover them to Himself forever (Jer.32.40). As the Lord opened the heart of Lydia when Paul spoke to the women at the riverside, so God will open the hearts of Israel under the new covenant. He will pour upon them the spirit of grace and supplication and they shall look upon the One whom they pierced and who was pierced for them, and they shall mourn with a "godly sorrow working repentance to salvation" for "there shall come out of Sion the Deliverer and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob."

"Thou hast put gladness in my heart", said David (Psa.4.7), comparing his joy in the Lord and its accompanying peace with the inferior pleasure derived from earthly things. Within us God has implanted such a joy, springing from our faith and hope in the Lord Jesus. He is working in our hearts to supply the needs of others. Sometimes it happens that the thought of someone long forgotten and far away comes persistently into the mind, try to banish it as we will. Is this something that God is putting into our heart? Perhaps a friend is in need of our prayers or of a letter. We have forgotten all about him but God has not, and it may be He is giving us a warning on his behalf, a personal responsibility we cannot pass to others.

If we are of an impetuous nature and quick to act upon impulse, it may not seem easy to distinguish between our own impulse and something that God has put into our heart. Any kindly word or act, however, will be acceptable to God as we seek to serve and follow our Master, and we do not need usually to question whether we are doing right in this respect. We must accept firstly the guidance of the Word of God as our supreme authority. Then if there is still any doubt God will guide unmistakably, the only stipulation being that we are willing in our heart to follow His guidance. For it is He that wills to do the will of God whether pleasant or disagreeable ‑ he shall know. The heart that is continually open to God will be ready to receive whatever He puts into it. For "we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works which God before hath ordained that we should walk in them." It is God who is working in us both to will and do of His good pleasure. Let us work out our own salvation with fear and trembling.

(From the Forest Gate Monthly)