Main Point and Overview:
They said, “It couldn’t be done,” yet the walls of Jerusalem were rebuilt in a meager 52 days. Unbelievable! Have you ever seen God move and work in your life in a miraculous way in a short period of time? If you’ve been blessed to have experienced this kind of a miracle in some way, it has a way of strengthening your spiritual trust in God, yet it’s only the beginning! Nehemiah had been used by God to do the “impossible” against all odds, overcoming both outside and inside pushback. Now, it was NOT the time to rest on this accomplishment. Instead, he needed to be just as intentional in success as he was in beginning the project. The Christian life is “this” part of the story! When you come to Christ, there is a sense of love, joy, peace, excitement, and “accomplishment” (in Christ alone)! We are so overcome with joy that we tend to be bold in our faith. Jesus is our Lord, having released us from the chains of sin, and there is nothing that we won’t do for him! Then the next day, or week, or year comes. Ultimately, what happens next is just as important! Why might you ask? It’s because the “enemy” does not “give up” in his attempt to wreck you and those you love just because you’ve committed your life to Christ in salvation. In fact, in many ways, he “amps up” his attempt to destroy you to a greater level now that you claim the name of Jesus. Nehemiah recognized that he needed wisdom for the “post-experience” of the “walls project.” Therefore, he appointed trustworthy and integrous people in positions of influence. He advised the people on a “game plan” that would protect them from enemy attacks. Ultimately, he saw the key to Jerusalem’s success to be the repopulation of the once great city. So many people were living on the “outskirts” of the city, and they needed to come “home” to stabilize the city. Remember, the temple dwelt in Jerusalem, and for a Jew, this was the very presence of God. Nehemiah’s plan was that the people would move back to the city to both “grow in” their faith and “give to” the city, revitalizing it. When Nehemiah experienced success, he did the wisest thing possible – he “built” upon it by “doing something…else!” THIS IS WHAT PROGRESS LOOKS LIKE!
They said, “It couldn’t be done,” yet the walls of Jerusalem were rebuilt in a meager 52 days. Unbelievable! Have you ever seen God move and work in your life in a miraculous way in a short period of time? If you’ve been blessed to have experienced this kind of a miracle in some way, it has a way of strengthening your spiritual trust in God, yet it’s only the beginning! Nehemiah had been used by God to do the “impossible” against all odds, overcoming both outside and inside pushback. Now, it was NOT the time to rest on this accomplishment. Instead, he needed to be just as intentional in success as he was in beginning the project. The Christian life is “this” part of the story! When you come to Christ, there is a sense of love, joy, peace, excitement, and “accomplishment” (in Christ alone)! We are so overcome with joy that we tend to be bold in our faith. Jesus is our Lord, having released us from the chains of sin, and there is nothing that we won’t do for him! Then the next day, or week, or year comes. Ultimately, what happens next is just as important! Why might you ask? It’s because the “enemy” does not “give up” in his attempt to wreck you and those you love just because you’ve committed your life to Christ in salvation. In fact, in many ways, he “amps up” his attempt to destroy you to a greater level now that you claim the name of Jesus. Nehemiah recognized that he needed wisdom for the “post-experience” of the “walls project.” Therefore, he appointed trustworthy and integrous people in positions of influence. He advised the people on a “game plan” that would protect them from enemy attacks. Ultimately, he saw the key to Jerusalem’s success to be the repopulation of the once great city. So many people were living on the “outskirts” of the city, and they needed to come “home” to stabilize the city. Remember, the temple dwelt in Jerusalem, and for a Jew, this was the very presence of God. Nehemiah’s plan was that the people would move back to the city to both “grow in” their faith and “give to” the city, revitalizing it. When Nehemiah experienced success, he did the wisest thing possible – he “built” upon it by “doing something…else!” THIS IS WHAT PROGRESS LOOKS LIKE!
Posted in Devotional