Nehemiah 4:7-9 - But when Sanballat, Tobiah,
the Arabs, the Ammonites and the men of Ashdod heard that the repairs to
Jerusalem's walls had gone ahead and that the gaps were being closed, they were
very angry. They all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and stir up trouble against
it. But we prayed to our God and posted
a guard day and night to meet this threat.
The workers on the wall met much verbal abuse each day as
they continued their work. Tobiah and Sanballat
worked especially hard… using harsh words to try and slow down the progress on
the wall. And when they saw that the wall’s progress was not impaired….they
plotted to come and fight these people ….and distract them with their threats.
But Nehemiah was not to be mastered by the taunts and
teasing of pagans. He went twice to God in prayer…and gained the wisdom he
needed to continue the work on the wall.
He split the workers into one more group….and placed half of them as
guards…while the others worked. They worked
longer hours and wore their weapons as they continued to stack the stones to
half the height they would be when the project was completely finished.
Nehemiah gained the courage and strength he needed to
persevere from the time he spent in prayer. He wanted God to turn the teasing
and abuse back on the people who tried to deter the work on the wall….but God
had other plans. God used the courage
and strength that Nehemiah gained in prayer to encourage the people to keep
going…even though it was hard. God used this time to teach them about perseverance.
I needed to hear this story…so I would remember the scripture
in Romans 8:28-31 … “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been
called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also
predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
And those he predestined,
he also called; those he called, he also justified;
those he justified, he also glorified. What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?”
If I pray like Nehemiah did…and not let the craziness of the
world confuse and trick me….God’s plan for my life will be as clear as Nehemiah’s
task to complete the wall. It was in his
times of prayer that God made clear the full extent to which he was called to
encourage these people…weak from years of captivity….and tired from the sheer
load of their labor. He did not give up…just used the wisdom God gave him to
regroup and plot a new way to encourage the people he was charged to lead.
Perhaps it was this story that inspired the words of Paul in
Philippians 2:13-14 …. “ for it is God who works in you to will
and to act according to his good purpose. Do everything without complaining
or arguing…” I am reminded once again
that the world does not revolve around me…but around the wonderful Savior …Christ
Jesus….who died on the cross to save my sins. If I can learn to put my own agenda
away for long enough…he might be able to use me to share his love with others…the
way he has always planned…but I have failed to see through my selfishness.
Father…I thank you for this story that reminds me to stop
and pray when things seem out of control. Help me to learn to come to you in
prayer when I feel the world’s confusion and harshness try to trick me into
giving up. Create in me a need to bring
all my sadness…and frustrations to you…instead of venting how tired I am to
others…and complaining about how hard life might be in any one day. Help me
learn that my prayers to you must be increased…in time and rigor…so that you
can begin to strengthen me as you did Nehemiah…so you can use me to encourage
and strengthen others. Amen.
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