Don’t Stop Now!
“And when all our enemies heard of it, all the nations around us were afraid and fell greatly in their own esteem, for they perceived that this work had been accomplished with the help of our God.”
—Neh. 6:16
Have you ever been in one of those situations where there has been some type of disagreement; and when the other party runs out of rational arguments to support their position, they begin to call you names. Of course not, only children do that, right? Yeah, right. In Neh. 6, Nehemiah and the Jews experienced opposition that became quite personal.
Nehemiah and the Jews who followed him were working to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, but they faced great opposition from the very beginning. When their enemies saw that they hadn't been able to deter them, they plotted to assassinate Nehemiah. Sanballat and Geshem sent Nehemiah a message, "Hey, Nehemiah. Come 'ere. We wanna talk to ya (my translation of the original language)." But, Nehemiah had been tipped off somehow and he made this reply, "I am doing a great work and I cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and come down to you (Neh. 6:3)?"
A few years ago, God used this passage to help me discern that I needed to stop looking for something else to do, and do what He had already given me to do. I hear people say that someday God would use them to accomplish something, but they are probably ignoring what He has already given them to do, right where they are at the time.
I am not sure that I have it figured out; but, I don't think God expects me to sit idle and do nothing. It could be He would have me use some of that time to rest, maybe to find other ways to refresh my spirit, focus on my own needs to grow and develop. But, I think it could be that God doesn't feel like He has to constantly be giving me directions on what next step to take. He has already equipped me with the ability to know His will.
I have this problem sometimes with my children. Though they usually know what they are supposed to be doing, or could easily figure it out if they put some thought into it; they would prefer not to think, and would rather we just tell them what to do. Richard Foster writes in A Year with God,13 "The development of character, rather than direction in this, that, and the other matter, must be the primary purpose of the Father. He will guide us, but He won't override us...The parent must guide in such a manner, and to the degree, that autonomous character, capable of making right decisions for itself, is produced. God does the same."
Nehemiah prayed, but he prayed for God to give him strength; and then, he went back to work. He didn't need to ask God what to do next. He just continued to do what He had already been given to do. As a result, the wall was finished.
In one of the most moving stories of the New Testament, Paul is saying farewell to a group of elders in Ephesus. This was a place where Paul had served “with great humility and tears,” and had been tested severely. But, he had obviously become quite fond of the people in this particular church. Paul was going to Jerusalem, but he had been shown by the Holy Spirit that, once there, he would be facing prison and hardship. As Paul shared this with the elders, he also told them he would never see them again. They began to weep, to embrace Paul, and to kiss him.
A scene such as this might have led Paul to want to abandon his trip to Jerusalem. But, Paul would have none of it. His words to them were, “I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace (Acts 20:24).”
Consider what that must have meant for the Ephesian elders and how it must have impacted them. Who has invested in you that would be impacted if you were to give up the race. Consider the effort they put into you, especially those who have prayed for you. If you don’t’ have anyone praying for you, form a prayer team. Make an agreement with a few others to pray for each other that you might all finish the race He has marked out for you.
