"... 'Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace.' ... They replied, 'Let us start rebuilding.' So they began this good work." Nehemiah 2:17-18 (NIV)
Because the Israelites had turned their back on God, He allowed the Chaldeans to defeat them, to destroy the house of God that Solomon had built, to tear down the walls around Jerusalem, and enslave them. (2 Chronicles 36:17-20) Ezra lead the rebuilding of the temple (Ezra 3-7), but the city and the surrounding wall still lay in ruins. Nehemiah, the cup bearer and taster to King Artaxerxes, prayed to God, then convinced the king to allow him to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the wall. The people were additionally motivated by the fact that each man was basically assigned to rebuild the section of the wall that was "opposite", "next to", or "in front of" his own house. (Nehemiah 3)
What are we working on today? What good work are we doing for The Lord and what is our motivation to do good work? Remember God knows our heart, thoughts, and our intentions. What "wall" are you working on and why are you doing it? Each of us needs to focus on doing a good work for The Lord in spite of what is going on around us.
No comments:
Post a Comment