No Time to Waste

Neh. 6: 3 So I sent messengers to them saying, “I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down

After Nebuchadnezzar’s army destroyed the city of Jerusalem, the Jews were captives in Babylon for almost seventy years; then King Cyrus gave them permission to go and re-build the city; but the rulers and governors of the cities around Jerusalem were their enemies and they joined together to prevent the re-building of Jerusalem’s walls. Nehemiah, a Godly Jew who worked in the palace of the king was appointed to lead the work as they re-started the re-building.

Sanballat, Tobias and Geshem, governors of enemy cities sent an invitation for Nehemiah to meet with them at Ono. From a political standpoint this would be an honour for Nehemiah to be meeting with these great men and an opportunity for him to form good friendships which would benefit the people and the work he was doing. But Nehemiah rejected the invitation. He was doing God’s work which was more important than meeting with these ungodly men who were actually planning to hurt him.

Thank God for the gift of discernment that He has given to His children. Nehemiah was able to see that this was a trap and, thank God, He was so committed to what he was doing that no honour, power or worldly consideration could pull him away from doing God’s work.

You have been called to do a great work for God – to live a Christ-like life, to love others, to help and care and to share your faith. Nothing should draw your attention away from this. Do your un-Christian friends invite you to spend time enjoying their worldly amusements? Do the pleasure and the beautiful things of the world attract you? Are they encouraging you to “live a little life” before you make a full commitment to Jesus?

Remember, you are peculiar, His special child, called to help in “building the walls” of God’s remnant church. The Lord is depending on you. You are doing a great work and you cannot come down. Be faithful. Ask the Lord today for courage to resist temptation and for spiritual discernment to differentiate between good and evil. DO NOT COME DOWN.

Dear Lord, help me today to resist the evil, no matter how attractive it looks, and to choose the good, in Jesus’ name, amen