Nehemiah 6:1-16; Psalm 127:1-2
When we read the Old Testament we learn what and why the ancient people of God did what they did and how it all came out in the end. The information is interesting, but we also want to know whether or not what happened to them then actually makes any difference to us right now. In other words, can we take anything we read in the Bible out the door when we go about our daily lives?
The answer of course is yes, we can. In Nehemiah, we discover how the restoration of Jerusalem began after the horrendous destruction of the city followed by the captivity of the Jews in Babylon. The story of the return of the Jews to their beloved city and the rebuilding of the city wall gives us a type of historical parable. It lays out for us a blueprint of how God chooses to deal with his people in every century.
Let me summarize a few points of this history that we can actually use:
1) What we build in faith, whether it’s a church building, a ministry, a career, or anything else, is done step-by-step, depending upon God for each detail, every day. He keeps us dependent upon him and consistently steers our attention away from ourselves and our own abilities and resources. It requires prayer, prayer, and more prayer.
What he intends to accomplish in this is to provide for us not so much a roadmap for the journey of faith, but a guide. He wants us to keep our eyes on him, not on the road, because he knows how we are — easily distracted from his guidance and prone to think that our insights and skills are quite enough to get there. When the task is finally accomplished we won’t be able to sit around congratulating ourselves for the outcome.
2) Every ministry or task we are called to, great or small, will encounter resistance. If our work is really of God, then it will be against all odds. All the forces of this world are aligned to slow down, frustrate, or stop our progress at every turn. That’s one reason why God insists on going with us as our guide and helper. He knows that the powers are too strong for us, and that we’ll always tend to underestimate their strength and overestimate ours.
3) Whenever we receive a divine invitation to carry out the will of God, it comes with a divine promise that he will carry it to completion in his time and in his way. The historical account of Nehemiah provides an invitation to observe the action and character of God in real life. It reveals in full color the utter faithfulness of God in keeping his promises, by enabling his people to engage in building things that last, rather than wasting their time and talents in vain and misguided (even though sincere) efforts.
The good news in this story is this: In whatever he calls us to do, we will in a very real sense reenact the experience of Nehemiah and come out of it with a stronger faith and greater sense of wonder at his grace and power.
Also, the account offers us some essential pointers on how to move forward successfully with our own God-given tasks. Read the full story of Nehemiah, note his God-focus and the way he decides things, then turn to your own calling and take action with a renewed sense of God’s providence in bringing about his will in ways you probably won’t be able to predict. Now see your calling, with all its ups and downs, in every sudden and unexpected turn, as a faith-building adventure with God that you can tell your children and grandchildren about.
