This month seems to have gotten away from me. Even this year is moving by quickly as we’re just days away from the half-way point of 2010. Where has the time gone?

Well, that answer is simple: its history! Even as time has passed by, we have eternity before us: an endless and timeless period that will encompass us whether we’re ready for it or not.

In all honesty, I wonder if I am prepared for eternity. Yes, my faith is in Jesus Christ and I believe He has saved me from my sins. That alone should be enough, but I also feel I have so much unfinished business to take care of before meeting my Maker.

Raising my kids, spending more time with my wife, telling others about Jesus, helping the poor, the afflicted and anyone else who crosses my path. So much to do; so little time to handle everything.

I know that I am not the only person feeling the way I do. On Monday mornings, I meet with 3-4 other men at 6:30 to fellowship, pray and read the Bible. Our discussions often take a life focus, trying to come to grips with how God’s people managed their lives thousands of years ago and applying those lessons to today.

It isn’t always easy because sometimes we just don’t seem to get it. Take for example Nehemiah, who was the cupbearer for Artaxerxes. Burdened for God’s people and wanting to do something about the holy city and broken walls of Jerusalem, Nehemiah wanted to help. He sensed God’s leading and, spent months seeking God’s guidance before asking the king for a leave of absence.

The king granted his leave, but he could have just as easily cut off Nehemiah’s head for asking. In those days, the earthly kings of the east were as close to being all-powerful as any kings that have ever ruled, which meant that if you crossed him, you were a dead man.

But Nehemiah found favor and set off for Jerusalem and, despite much opposition and an ill-equipped workforce, managed to rebuild the wall. This man was not a builder nor were most of the people with him. Still, they trusted God and He worked through Nehemiah to accomplish great things.

I am glad God uses ordinary people to do extraordinary things. Perhaps that describes you: someone who knows he or she cannot do the job at hand, but is trusting God nonetheless. If so, be prepared to be used by Almighty God in ways you never imagined.

Photo Credit: S. Sepp

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Today’s post is #200 for this site, launched by me in November 2007. Though the domain name is now ten years old, Word Journey has covered Christian subject matter only since the time I took it over and changed its purpose. This website would be NOTHING without God’s guidance: all praise and honor are due to the Lord!

I also thank you, my dear readers, for following this site.  There is a small audience of regular followers and a whole bunch of people who happen upon this site when a particular article or topic catches their fancy in the search engine results pages. In any case, your visits are appreciated as are your comments.

I didn’t have anything special planned for this milestone post, but it certainly appears that God has something in store.

Are there stone walls in your life needing to be rebuilt?

Last night, I was reading the fourth chapter of my “Be Determined” Bible study of Nehemiah, a book written by Bible teacher Warren W. Wiersbe.  Corresponding with Nehemiah chapter 4, Wiersbe talked about the spiritual warfare the Jews of that time were experiencing. Their enemies certainly did not want to see the wall of Jerusalem built and did everything in their power to dissuade God’s people.

Sanballat a Horonite and Tobiah an Ammonite were among the leaders of the peoples occupying the land surrounding Jerusalem.  The city of David had been sacked, the temple destroyed, the walls surrounding the city had been burned and knocked down. Jerusalem was just a shell of its self.

But, some of God’s people were living there and Nehemiah, who was the cupbearer for the Persian king, Artaxerxes (Nehemiah 2:1), was burdened for his people. So much so that he prayed and fasted for months before requesting a leave of absence from his position in order to help the people rebuild.

Once on site, Nehemiah was faced with an extraordinary challenge: how to rebuild the wall with fire damaged material and how to keep God’s people motivated. Of course, Nehemiah did not rely upon human methods to galvanize the troops. He invoked the name of the Most High God to help the Jews.

Nehemiah 4 presents a powerful picture of spiritual warfare, beginning with the very first verse:

When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became angry and was greatly incensed. He ridiculed the Jews….

It would have been one thing had Sanballat only been mad, but he resorted to ridicule in a bid to stop the work of God’s people.

Ridicule should be recognized for what it is: an attack by the enemy. Wiersbe noted that God’s people can hold up under physical assault, but it is often the words of opposition uttered that stop us. How many of us have backed off in the face of criticism? Admittedly, there have been times I have done the same.

The ridicule uttered including the usual name-calling, including “feeble Jews” and mocking their efforts with Tobiah saying in Nehemiah 4:3, “What they are building–if even a fox climbed up on it, he would break down their wall of stones!” Ouch! True, even.

But Nehemiah would hear none of it. Instead of returning their volley he implored God, beginning in Nehemiah 4:4, for divine help.

Nehemiah 4:6 is where this chapter hangs and is the reason why I chose my title, “So we rebuilt the wall till all of it reached half its height, for the people worked with all their heart.”

That’s it. They were subjected to the attacks of their enemies, took the matter to God and immediately returned to work. And that is how we should respond: we should leave the problem in God’s care and get back to work.

Of course, following their response, the attacks were mounted once again. And again the people cried out to the Lord. They also prepared themselves for battle and kept their ears perked for the sound of the trumpet. If the trumpet had blasted, they would have had to lay down their tools to take up their weapons. In any case, they were always at the ready for battle!

My, this sounds like something we should be doing today: reading God’s word, sharing the gospel message and doing the work of the Lord.

If we’re not facing opposition, could it be that our work isn’t for the Lord? Or perhaps our work has gotten so muddled over time no one can figure out the reasons why we’re doing it any longer.

One more thing for me to add before you head off and read Nehemiah yourself: oftentimes the opposition the Jews faced came from within. That’s right, some of their own people were compromisers and did what they could to stop the work, allowing fear to control the situation. Sadly, that reflects the way much of the church operates today.

We need to be of one mind when we set out to do the work of the Lord and be determined to accomplish what He has called us to do. Otherwise, the withering attacks of the enemy will keep us from our work, turning a sure victory into certain defeat.

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