WORD&POWER for TODAY:
PICK UP YOUR LIFE, REBUILD YOURSELFIf you found yourself in a state you can call a wreckage. Everyone that passes by hisses at you, they shake their heads and walk away. No one is lending a helping hand. Some actually rejoice at your downfall because it seems to favour them somehow.
My question to you is this, are you willing to stay in that wreckage, or you want to build a city with your scattered stones? If your answer is to build, rather, to rebuild your life. Let us look at the following factors you will need to consider as we use the account of Nehemiah:
(1) PEOPLE WILL MOCK YOUR EFFORTS TO REBUILD (OR RECOVER):
When you decide to stand back on your feet, or to rebuild your scattered life. Get ready to be laughed at!
“… What do these feeble Jews? will they fortify themselves? will they sacrifice? will they make an end in a day? will they revive the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish which are burned? Now Tobiah the Ammonite was by him, and he said, Even that which they build, if a fox go up, he shall even break down their stone wall.” Nehemiah 4:2-3
If you do not want to be mocked, make no efforts. If you want to be mocked, make no efforts still. Starting afresh makes you look stupid, because your building materials are not even new. They are broken, burnt, and scattered in almost every direction. Judah had been attacked, the walls of Jerusalem had been broken down. But GOD and the people chose to rebuild in spite of what the passersby might think of them.
Shame is one thing you must look away from if you must recover your losses, and to fulfil your destiny. Imagine how the mockers described the efforts of the people of Judah: “… What do these feeble Jews? will they fortify themselves? will they sacrifice? will they make an end in a day? will they revive the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish which are burned? Now Tobiah the Ammonite was by him, and he said, Even that which they build, if a fox go up, he shall even break down their stone wall.” Nehemiah 4:2-3.
They said their works were so weak and temporary. They taunted that their work would not pass the test of time. That is their thought, not the plans of those who were working. It is your choice, to either live in the thoughts of your mockers, or to just go ahead and recover, and also fulfill your purpose in life. When you hear your mockers say such things as the mockers said about the people of Judah. Tell them; “I am not feeble, I am strong!” Tell them; “I will fortify myself! I will sacrifice! I will make an end of this reproach and chaos! I will revive the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish that has been burnt!…my work will be long lasting! …I will rebuild and it will be long-lasting!”
That way, you will surely silent your mockers.
(2) MAKE UP YOUR MIND TO WORK:
“So built we the wall; and all the wall was joined together unto the half thereof: FOR THE PEOPLE HAD A MIND TO WORK.” Nehemiah 4:6.
If gold is your choice, the fire ? must be your passage. If you are determined to succeed, you must be determined to work. If you want to recover what you have lost, you must be ready to work. To rebuild your life into what GOD wants it to be, get ready to work! Success is never an accident, it is earned. The people built successfully, and joined the broken walls back together because they “had a mind to work”.
Get ready to study like you have never done before. Get ready to lose so much sleep. Get ready to pray long (or longer) hours. Get ready to miss your daily meals, because you must attend to some serious matters (or because you need to fast). If you are determined to work, GOD is ready to help you recover your losses… And to help you rebuild your broken life.
(3) NOT EVERYONE WILL LIKE YOUR PROGRESS:
“But it came to pass, that when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites, heard that the walls of Jerusalem were made up, and that the breaches began to be stopped, then THEY WERE VERY WROTH, AND CONSPIRED ALL OF THEM TOGETHER TO COME AND TO FIGHT AGAINST JERUSALEM, AND TO HINDER IT.” Nehemiah 4:7-8
You would think everyone should rejoice with you that you are now recovering. That might be a very fatal mistake my dear. You need to understand that your success (no matter how tiny or big it is) gets some people sick. The progress you are making is a threat to the reign of some mischievous people. So, don’t be gullible. Be smart to know who is happy or unhappy with your new developments.
Imagine such huge conspiracy against Jerusalem. And they had no respect for them, even though these enemies knew they were GOD’s people. That you are a Christian or Minister of GOD does not mean people won’t conspire against you. They will make efforts to stop your progress…because your state of ruin and helplessness feeds their ego. It makes them look correct, that your GOD cannot help you. It makes them look bigger, and better than you. So, if they ever see you make any efforts to get better, they would fight to bring you down, or back! But, they will all fail, in Jesus name!
(4) MENTION YOUR KNOWN ENEMIES AND THEIR WORKS, WHEN YOU PRAY:
“Hear, O our God; for we are despised: and turn their reproach upon their own head, and give them for a prey in the land of captivity: And cover not their iniquity, and let not their sin be blotted out from before thee: for they have provoked thee to anger before the builders.” Nehemiah 4:4-5
This may sound harsh, but it is very necessary. Don’t act as if you’re a kinder person than Nehemiah. If your work or progress in life has ever been frustrated, you would understand why you should be violent when you pray. To assume you do not have enemies is to give them open doors to plunder your life. Since you say they do not exist, they will keep robbing you of what is yours until you wake up from your slumber.
Even the Apostles told GOD, “… Why did the nations rage, And the people plot vain things? The kings of the earth took their stand, And the rulers were gathered together Against the Lord and against His Christ.’ “For truly against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, BOTH HEROD AND PONTIUS PILATE, WITH THE GENTILES AND THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL, were gathered together to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose determined before to be done. NOW, LORD, LOOK ON THEIR THREATS, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word.” Acts 4:25-29 NKJV. Notice the list of names and groups in those verses. The Apostles didn’t pretend that they were not existing, they mentioned them by names and descriptions.
Queen Esther pointed to Haman as she reported him to the king; “…THE ADVERSARY AND ENEMY IS THIS WICKED HAMAN!” So Haman was terrified before the king and queen.” Esther 7:6 NKJV. Stop acting like you’re so kind, when your enemies are killing you and all that is yours.
(5) WATCH WHILE YOU PRAY:
“Nevertheless we made our prayer unto our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them.” Nehemiah 4:9
A Man of GOD once asked us in a conference to show him where it is written in scriptures that we must close our eyes when we pray, and we were all gazing at him speechless. Yes, it is good for our eyes to be closed to avoid distractions. That is a good reason.
But, be vigilant to know what is going on around you when you pray. Nehemiah and his men prayed, yet they watched out for the enemies of their work. They didn’t assume that GOD would fight for them, as many of us foolishly think. Sometimes you need to confront certain difficult people. You need to handle some adversaries by yourself. Don’t make GOD look like He created you without any form of resistance. Be smart, while you pray. The enemies of your work are not far away, they are just around. So, watch… While you pray.
Don’t be so simple, you’re a soldier; “They which builded on the wall, and they that bare burdens, with those that laded, every one with one of his hands wrought in the work, and with the other hand held a weapon. For the builders, every one had his sword girded by his side, and so builded. And he that sounded the trumpet was by me.” Nehemiah 4:17-18.
(6) PROTECT YOUR COLLEAGUES:
“And I said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, The work is great and large, and we are separated upon the wall, one far from another. In what place therefore ye hear the sound of the trumpet, resort ye thither unto us: our God shall fight for us.” Nehemiah 4:19-20
In the course of trying to rebuild your life and to fulfill your purpose in life, recognize people of like-minds. Recognize those who are doing similar to what you are doing. In Christianity, we have one common enemy. We are supposed to watch out for each others’ back. We may be far apart in different countries or continents. Our enemy is not many but one Satan, who has many followers.
So, if I cry from my corner in East Africa, or West Africa, blowing the trumpet for help. Someone in the South or North should not laugh at my cry for help but come right away for my rescue. We are building just one single city. We are working for the same Master. Hearing the alarm for help from your colleagues and laughing is to risk your safety too, because the enemies will soon reach you.
Whatever you are trying to build, or rebuild as a Christian, needs the help of another Christian. You would not know the role that man or woman you’re protecting or helping now would play in your life in the nearest future. Learn to see other Christians as your coworkers. Protect them whenever they are in distress. If they fall while you watch, you are getting weaker against the enemy.
Have you been blessed by this message? …spread the WORD, share with your friends. As it is written; “The Lord gave the word: great was the company of those that published it.” -Psalms 68:11 KJV
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Daily Bible study guide
In The Morning: Nehemiah 9, 10, 11
In The Evening: Acts 4:1-22
IMPACT CHRISTIAN GL?BAL MINISTRY
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Jun 19, 2019 3:51:31 AM
