How's it going?

 

How many times have you asked this question, "How's it going?" and really didn't expect an answer or maybe just a cursory, "Good!" Are we really interested in knowing how it's going or are we just using this question as a sort of greeting. For me, it is so important WHO is asking the question. Are they really friends? Are they family? If I don't know someone well the response will be polite but not full of detail.

I thought about this "greeting" today when I was reading Nehemiah:

"Hanani, one of my brothers, came to visit me with some other men who had just arrived from Judah. I asked them about the Jews who had returned there from captivity and about how things were going in Jerusalem." (Nehemiah 1:2)

I wonder if Nehemiah was just being polite, if he was casually interested, or if he was REALLY interested in hearing what was going on in Jerusalem and Judah. Hanani, a brother, just let it all spill out to Nehemiah.

"They said to me, "Things are not going well for those who returned to the province of Judah. They are in great toruble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem has been torn down and the gates have been destroyed by fire." (Nehemiah 1:3)

You can tell by Nehemiah's response, he was genuinely concerned and the question came from his heart. 

"When I heard this, I sat down and wept. In fact, for days I mourned, fasted, and prayed to the God of heaven." (Nehemiah 1:4)

Then we get the details of Nehemiah's prayer to the Lord. He pled with the Lord for help, but before he did that he confessed his own sin and the sins of his nation. This is such a heartfelt prayer of a man who genuinely cared and knew that he could not resolve the problems in Judah without the Lord's help.

From that moment forward Nehemiah listened and obeyed the Lord's leading. He organized and led the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem. He was a man on a mission, not his mission, but God's mission. Nehemiah approached the King and God granted him favor with the king's resources. THAT IS HOW THIS IS ALL SUPPOSED TO WORK.

Let me assure you, if I ask you how it's going, I am genuinely interested in hearing REALLY HOW IT IS GOING! AND don't be surprised if I offer to pray for you right there. I love to find opportunities to pray for people. I love hearing how things are going, not just because I am nosey, but because I genuinely care and I know the God of the Universe and if anything is NOT going well in your life, HE IS THE ONE TO GO TO!!!!!!!

As genuine followers of Jesus Christ it is up to all of us to seek out opportunities to pray. It's not for gossip's sake, it's not for our own benefit, or it's not so we can be "in the know" or spread gossip. We need to genuinely ask the question AND be willing to sincerely take the needs to the Lord in prayer. SOOOO,

How's it going?