As the rain and snow

“Now the whole earth had one language and the same words. And as people migrated from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. And they said to one another, ‘Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly.’ And they had brick for stone, and bitumen for mortar. Then they said, ‘Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.’ And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of man had built. And the Lord said, ‘Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. And nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. Come, let us go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another’s speech.’ So the Lord dispersed them from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city. Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the Lordconfused the language of all the earth. And from there the Lord dispersed them over the face of all the earth.” Genesis 11:1-9

Man was pretty smart. God had created him with ingenuity, skill, and drive, and had entrusted a lovely and varied world to his dominion. But human will poisoned by a sin nature can conjure up a variety of rebellion, and this is exactly what occurred on the Plain of Shinar. Their benevolent Maker had fashioned them for a relationship with Himself, and they coerced each other into building for personal and communal greatness, apart from Him. Making a name and fame for themselves was necessarily omitting a name and fame for Him. However, He was the true King, and would not stand for their plan. (Genesis 1:26-28; Psalm 8:3-8)

So disperse them He did, obliterating their ill-intentioned solidarity. He would divide this pride, dispel this self-promotion, scatter this effort that left Him out in plan, execution, and end. God can do anything, and will frustrate any plans He doesn’t want seen through. As high as we try to build without Him, as far as we attempt to reach or run away from Him, He is above and beyond and higher still, the Regent whose eye is on us and throne stands forever. (Job 42:1-2; Psalm 45:6; 139:7-10; Isaiah 55:8-9; Jeremiah 32:17)

We plan for naught when we ignore our Lord. We gather and collude and forge our way, we set out to achieve and build, but it is the Lord who determines our outcomes. To set Him aside is to elude true fulfillment and invite our peril, because life without Christ is not true life. It is only in Him, and with Him, that we own and enjoy our ultimate being. (Psalm 127:1; Proverbs 16:9; Acts 17:28)

From what part of my day, and life, do I attempt to exclude the Lord? What hidden closets and corners need exposing? What passions am I wont to engage apart from His inspiration and lead? What can I do today to bring every impulse under His tutelage and control?

Lord, may I never breathe or boast or build in vain. May my every ‘tower’ aim for, penetrate, and display Your glory.

“And as they went out of Jericho, a great crowd followed him.  And behold, there were two blind men sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was passing by, they cried out, ‘Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!’  The crowd rebuked them, telling them to be silent, but they cried out all the more, ‘Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!’  And stopping, Jesus called them and said, ‘What do you want me to do for you?’ They said to him, ‘Lord, let our eyes be opened.’  And Jesus in pity touched their eyes, and immediately they recovered their sight and followed him.” Matthew 20:29-34

“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.” Matthew 5:7

Perhaps they heard the buzz, a clamor of recognition of the Man who told stories and healed the sick and demon-possessed. When the blind men heard that Jesus was near, they cried out to get His attention: Lord, have mercy on us! They didn’t immediately ask for specific help or healing, but for His heart of mercy to see their debilitated condition and come near. And against the press and rebuking of the crowds, He did. Jesus couldn’t not show mercy- it was His nature and motivation, the blood-type that pulsed through His veins.

And in that spirit He dug deeper to ask what they really wanted from its bubbling well. Let us see. Christ Jesus saw perfectly their pitiful state- unable to work as others did, nor to behold the intricate beauties of earth and sky, loved ones and colors- and mercy moved pity to move His healing hands.

Consider the contrast of reactions to Jesus. The proud swaggered in His wake, vociferously trying to dictate His whereabouts and concentration. They knew best, and how to get ahead, and had no time or inclination to bother with those on the outskirts. But at the roadside, the impoverished knew He was able, full of love and compassion, and cried out a different plea. They who were humble and needy recognized the humble, steadfast love of this Suffering Servant. They appealed to the mercy that identified His voice and ways. (Isaiah 53:2-11)

Am I so moved? Has the mercy of God in Christ quieted my pride, gripped me so tightly I can hardly breathe except to thank Him, and ask for open eyes? Has it captivated my heart and overtaken my compulsions toward others? How might Christ’s mercy begin to define my sights, my plans, my reactions, my interactions, my ministry to others? (Jeremiah 31:20,34; Matthew 18:21-35; Hebrews 8:12)

“Thy mercy, my God, is the theme of my song,
The joy of my heart and the boast of my tongue;
Thy free grace alone, from the first to the last,
Hath won my affections and bound my soul fast.

“Thy mercy is more than a match for my heart, 
Which wonders to feel its own hardness depart; 
Dissolved by Thy goodness, I fall to the ground, 
And weep to the praise of the mercy I’’ve found.” ~John Stocker (1776)

Good Father, may I daily approach You and appeal to You on the basis of Your marvelous mercy. And may I honor You by extending that mercy lovingly and generously to others. (Ephesians 4:32; Hebrews 4:16)

“In those days Jesus… was baptized by John in the Jordan. When he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.’

“The Spirit immediately drove him into the wilderness. And he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan…

“Passing alongside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew… casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. Jesus said to them, ‘Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.’ And immediately they left their nets and followed him. Going on, he saw James and John, who were in their boat mending the nets. Immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat… and followed him.

“They went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath he entered the synagogue and was teaching. They were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes. Immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit [who] cried out, ‘What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God.’ But Jesus rebuked him, saying, ‘Be silent, and come out of him!..’

“Immediately he left the synagogue and entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. Now Simon’s mother-in-law lay ill with a fever, and immediately they told him about her. And he came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and the fever left her, and she began to serve them…

“And a leper came to him, imploring him, and kneeling said to him, ‘If you will, you can make me clean.’ Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him, ‘I will; be clean.’ And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean.'” Mark 1:9-13a,16-25,29-31,40-42

Mark’s movements and writings are wired with a sense of urgency, and as he recorded, Jesus never wasted time. At the moment of our Savior’s baptism, His Heavenly Father approved, then whisked Him toward temptation. Upon commencing His public ministry, His calling of the disciples was immediately effectual, His teaching was met with prompt opposition, and His word brought instant healing. Jesus lived and breathed on a mission, and everything He did, everywhere He went, every word He spoke, had immediate effect.

Urgency has its right place, and its dangers. The immediacy of exhibition and action following the Lord’s word portrays its (and His) power. Prompt, unquestioned obedience honors God’s authority and benevolent intentions. But hasty action apart from thought, or quick reactions to conniving opposition or temptation, pose pitfalls even to the well-meaning. It’s vital we stride in the Lord’s flow and schedule, whether at fast clip or measured plod. Adjusted to His clock and tempo, we are able to hear and act at His behest, with immediate alignment and grace.

What early-morning disciplines will calibrate us aright for the day? How quickly, and with what vigor, do we appropriate God’s word, in both resistance of evil and obedience?

Lord, keep me in step with your Spirit so I immediately and unabashedly obey and glorify you. (Galatians 5:16,25)

“Felix… gave orders that he should be kept in custody… After some days [he]… sent for Paul and heard him speak about faith in Christ Jesus. As he reasoned about righteousness and self-control and the coming judgment, Felix was alarmed and said, ‘Go away for the present. When I get an opportunity I will summon you.’ At the same time he hoped that money would be given him by Paul. So he sent for him often and conversed with him. When two years had elapsed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus. Desiring to do the Jews a favor, Felix left Paul in prison…

“Festus laid Paul’s case before the king, ‘There is a man left prisoner by Felix, and when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and elders… [asked] for a sentence of condemnation against him… But… I ordered him to be held until I could send him to Caesar…’ Agrippa said to Festus, ‘This man could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar…’

“When it was decided that we should sail for Italy, they delivered Paul and some other prisoners to a centurion of the Augustan Cohort named Julius. Embarking in a ship of Adramyttium,.. we put to sea… The next day we put in at Sidon. And Julius treated Paul kindly and gave him leave to go to his friends and be cared for.  And putting out to sea from there we sailed under the lee of Cyprus, because the winds were against us. And when we had sailed across the open sea along the coast of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra in Lycia. There the centurion found a ship of Alexandria sailing for Italy and put us on board.” Acts 24:22-23a,24-27; 25:14b-15,21; 26:32; 27:1-6

Over his years being misunderstood, persecuted, and detained, Paul did not languish, but took every opportunity to tell of Jesus and challenge others to respond. He honored his Lord, certainly suffering as God had ordained, but counting every hardship a privilege. In turn, the Lord kindly ministered to him through a Gentile centurion named Julius. Named here only twice, we do not know his measure of faith, nor what compelled him to do what he did, but we know God provided him for Paul, and his thoughtful, compassionate kindness live on as a model for us in caring for those in hard places. (Acts 9:16; 2 Corinthians 6:4-5; Philippians 1:29; 3:10; 2 Timothy 4:5)

The Lord assigns all sorts of situations and positions of authority and influence, and in each one, we can choose to be kind. Gratefully comprehending Christ’s merciful love toward us compels us to extend His tender heart to others. Exhibiting His love to those within the Body ministers holy balm, and shines as a magnetic light to the outside world. Exercising kindness to those who know not Christ offers a taste of His sweetness, ofttimes to their surprise. (John 13:34-35; 1 Corinthians 13:4; Ephesians 2:4-7; 4:32; Colossians 3:12)

Where can we be a Julius? How attentive are we to recognize opportunities? What significant acts of kindness will we do today to lighten someone’s load, give comfort or cheer, or supply a practical need? Have we so packed our days that we have no margin to step up or go out of our way for others?

Lord, may I daily and deliberately extend Your kindness to others, that they may be drawn to love and serve You.

“‘Now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified… You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my necessities and to those who were with me.  In all things I have shown you that by working hard we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”’

“And when he had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all. And there was much weeping on the part of all; they embraced Paul and kissed him, being sorrowful most of all because of the word he had spoken, that they would not see his face again. And they accompanied him to the ship.

“And when we had parted from them and set sail, we came… to Cos, and the next day to Rhodes, and from there to Patara. Having found a ship crossing to Phoenicia, we went aboard and set sail. When we had come in sight of Cyprus,.. we sailed to Syria and landed at Tyre, for there the ship was to unload its cargo. Having sought out the disciples, we stayed there for seven days… When our days there were ended,.. they all, with wives and children, accompanied us until we were outside the city. And kneeling down on the beach, we prayed  and said farewell to one another… When we had finished the voyage from Tyre, we arrived at Ptolemais, and we greeted the brothers and stayed with them for one day.” Acts 29:32,34-21:7

This window into the intimate fellowship among Paul’s team and followers opens the reality and possibilities of common faith and calling. Everywhere Paul went, he was focused on God’s task: building up the church with truth and encouragement. His love for them was palpable in all he gave of himself throughout his travels, and it rendered back deep affection, exhibited in strong shared emotions, mutual support, and prayer.

The fabric of the Body of Christ is like no other. When the Holy Spirit knits hearts and minds together in unity of love and purpose, the bond is strong and resilient, no matter the outside pressures and distances forced upon it. We bear one another’s burdens, and rejoice and weep and pray with each other. Discipleship as a calling is challenging at best, and God’s great gift to us is the fellowship, support, upbuilding, shared vision, and mutual comfort of our fellow saints along the journey. (Romans 12:15; Galatians 6:2)

How well are we playing our part? What example do we set for those younger in faith, and what specific encouragement do we give? When in a new location or new assignment, do we readily seek out the Christ’s disciples for insight, advice, and prayer? When others struggle, or set off on specific mission, how prone are we to gather and commend in prayer? Do we have enough margin to ‘stay a day’ when needs or opportunities arise, either to fill up, or give out?

Lord, thank You for the fellowship of saints. Keep me keen to opportunities to come alongside, willing and available to meet needs, and humbly receptive to the admonition and blessing of others. May the world know that we are Your disciples by our love for one another, and our loving You best. (John 13:35)

“God said to Abraham, ‘As for Sarai your wife… I will give you a son by her. I will bless her, and… kings… shall come from her.’ Abraham fell on his face and laughed and said to himself, ‘Shall a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Shall Sarah, who is ninety, bear a child?..’  God said, ‘Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac. I will establish… with him an everlasting covenant for his offspring after him…’

“And the Lord appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre… three men were standing in front of him… They said, ‘Where is Sarah your wife?’ And he said, ‘She is in the tent.’  The Lord said, ‘I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah shall have a son.’ Sarah was listening at the tent door behind him. Now Abraham and Sarah were old. The way of women had ceased to be with Sarah. So Sarah laughed to herself, ‘After I am worn out, and my lord is old, shall I have pleasure?’ The Lord said, ‘Why did Sarah laugh and say, “Shall I indeed bear a child, now that I am old?” Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return to you, about this time next year, and Sarah shall have a son.’ Sarah denied it, saying, ‘I did not laugh…’ He said, ‘No, but you did laugh…’

“The Lord visited Sarah as he had said, and did as he had promised. Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son at the time of which God had spoken to him.” Genesis 17:15-17,19; 18:1-2a,9-15; 21:1-2

“By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised.” Hebrews 11:11

Sarah, who had longed for decades to bear a child, found it hard to believe that God would give a son at their age- it was humanly impossible. But when the visitor outside the tent knew she had laughed to herself inside the tent, she perceived He was indeed the omniscient LORD in the flesh, and yes, nothing was too hard or wonderful for Him. Faith sprang to life, and she appropriated His promise. Her laughter at Isaac’s birth was no longer unbelief that this could happen, but delight that it had.

Faith does not always start as such, but strengthens as we comprehend more and more of God’s nature and ways, and His word proves repeatedly true. It is not something we muster up from inner dreams and desires, but that springs from His Word. It is a narrow pathway within His promises, full of unexpected delights as we hear Him speak, recognize His divine power, stride ahead in trust, and experience gradual fortifying of our faith muscles.

If my ‘faith’ follows me, founded on self-motivated wants, it will prove anemic at best. What will I do to know better God’s revealed promises, and there tether my faith? If I trust and delight in Him with all my heart, He will shape, define, and align my desires with His, and bring them to pass according to His timing as I believe. I will follow truth spoken but unseen, and genuine faith will grow. (Psalm 37:4; Proverbs 3:5-6; Hebrews 11:1)

Lord, correct my thinking and believing to always be rooted in You and Your word. Fortify my faith to take hold of Your good promises, to Your glory.

“The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived they went into the Jewish synagogue. Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. Many of them therefore believed, with not a few Greek women of high standing as well as men. But when the Jews from Thessalonica learned that the word of God was proclaimed by Paul at Berea also, they came there too, agitating and stirring up the crowds. Then the brothers immediately sent Paul off on his way to the sea, but Silas and Timothy remained there.” Acts 17:10-14

Paul had been drastically redirected by a personal encounter with the Lord, pierced by His Word and transformed by its truth. So when he preached, it was to expose and explain that Word, not give his opinion. Knowing its ability to convict, instruct, correct, and transform, he took every opportunity to proclaim it clearly and let it work. And work it did- awakening belief, stirring spiritual hunger to examine and understand more, and even agitating opposition. For those who eagerly investigated, all the things Paul had taught were indeed so. (Acts 9:1-8; Romans 1:16-17; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; Hebrews 4:12)

We live in a day when, many places in the world, we are fed what to think, programmed by government or education or workplace how to think, or told that our own thinking is wrong or unacceptable. The freedom to search out the truth of Scriptures and embrace it as our own is increasingly restricted or vilified, although our Lord wonderfully promise that when we abide in His Word and know the truth, it will set us free. (John 8:31-32)

Because of societal pressures, or busyness, or laziness or apathy, we often select a spokesperson, elevate them to star status, and drink in everything they say as gospel. We are not practiced in ‘seeing if these things are so,’ instead abdicating to others to do the hard or dirty work of thought, research, and testing. But for the Christian, when we choose not to conform to the world, but instead to be transformed by mind-renewal, delving into and applying God’s word, He makes His way known. We take Him our questions and concerns, and learn through testing His good, pleasing, and perfect will. His Spirit guides us, directing thinking and convicting our consciences when we err. (John 16:13; Romans 12:2)

Would we be labeled as “noble” because we receive the Word with eagerness? It takes courage, discipline, and consistency to see if these things are so… are these part of our regular arsenal, and practice? What fresh belief has become integral to our daily habits as we implement truth in word and deed, even when it’s challenged?

“Sing them over again to me,
Wonderful words of life;
Let me more of their beauty see,
Wonderful words of life;
Words of life and beauty
Teach me faith and duty.
Beautiful words, wonderful words,
Wonderful words of life;
Beautiful words, wonderful words,
Wonderful words of life.” ~P.P. Bliss (1874)

Lord, may I uphold You as my Source of truth and understanding, and remain ever ready to test and approve Your Word and will.

“The Lord came to Jonah, saying, ‘Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me.’ But Jonah rose.. [and] went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. So he paid the fare and went on board,.. away from the presence of the Lord. The Lord hurled a great wind upon the sea, and there was a mighty tempest .., so that the ship threatened to break up…

“They said, ‘Tell us on whose account this evil has come upon us… Where do you come from?..’ And he said, ‘I am a Hebrew, and fear the Lord God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.’ The men were exceedingly afraid and said, ‘What is this that you have done!’ For the men knew that he was fleeing from the presence of the Lord, because he had told them…

Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the belly of the fish, saying,

‘I called out to the Lord, out of my distress,
    and he… heard my voice.
For you cast me into the deep,..
    and the flood surrounded me;
all your waves passed over me…
The waters closed in over me to take my life;..
weeds were wrapped about my head…
I went down to the land
    whose bars closed upon me for ever;
yet you brought up my life from the pit,
    O Lord my God.
When my life was fainting away,
    I remembered the Lord,
and my prayer came to you,
    into your holy temple.
I with the voice of thanksgiving
    will sacrifice to you…
    Salvation belongs to the Lord!’

“And the Lord spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah out upon the dry land…

“The word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time, ‘Arise, go to Nineveh,.. and call out against it the message that I tell you.’ So Jonah arose and went, according to the word of the Lord.” Jonah 1:1-4,8-10; 2:1-3,5-7,9-10; 3:1-3

Ninevah was despicable, corrupt. Jonah wanted nothing to do with it, even if only to ‘call out against it’ and declare its condemnation. In his self-righteous eyes, no Ninevite deserved to be alerted to their coming judgment or God’s mercy, so he fled the opposite way with calloused heart.

But hard hearts don’t sit well with God, especially those He’s called to carry His word. His people are to have compassion, and He can effectively teach it when we have none. He knows that we cannot procure it ourselves and extend it to others unless we recognize His amazing grace and immense love toward us. So He put Jonah in horrifying darkness and slosh and noise and violence inside a fish, to alert him to Himself

When we’re at the lowest of low, and worst of the worst, we tend to recognize our hopelessness. Into these impossible places the Lord’s mercy and power break through to get our hardened attention. He loves us too much to allow us not to care, and will persist in pounding away at our stubbornness until we love what He loves.

In what areas am I apathetic- about my sin, decisions that could affect my forever, or those around me? Where do I skirt obedience and sacrifice to prefer ease? What causes me to resist showing others mercy, and what will I do about resentment?

Lord, sanctify me through and through so I wholeheartedly obey and full-heartedly love, according to Your unending grace to me.

“When Abram heard that his kinsman had been taken captive, he led forth his trained men, born in his house, 318 of them, and went in pursuit as far as Dan. And he divided his forces against them by night, he and his servants, and defeated them and pursued them to Hobah, north of Damascus. Then he brought back all the possessions, and also brought back his kinsman Lot with his possessions, and the women and the people.

“After his return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley). And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. (He was priest of God Most High.) And he blessed him and said,

‘Blessed be Abram by God Most High,
    Possessor of heaven and earth;
and blessed be God Most High,
    who has delivered your enemies into your hand!’

“And Abram gave him a tenth of everything. And the king of Sodom said to Abram, ‘Give me the persons, but take the goods for yourself.’  But Abram said to the king of Sodom, ‘I have lifted my hand to the Lord, God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth, that I would not take a thread or a sandal strap or anything that is yours, lest you should say, “I have made Abram rich.” I will take nothing but what the young men have eaten, and the share of the men who went with me. Let Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre take their share.’” Genesis 14:14-24

In this interesting nugget of a story that reappears later with deeper meaning, we see a telling exchange. The spotlight is on the inscrutable King of Salem (King of ‘Peace’), also priest of God Most High (before the priesthood was ordained), who greets the victor Abram with blessing, bread, and wine. In turn, Abram, who bore the royal seed of Israel- the Lord Jesus Christ-, gives Him a tithe (before the law) of everything he’d recovered in battle. We sense a holy hush at what is taking place between mortals who represent our supernatural King of kings and Great High Priest. In the background, the worldly King of Sodom is refused, and kept in his shadow. This mutual exchange of honor between God’s anointed men is palpable, and mysterious. (Genesis 12:2-3; 1 Timothy 6:15; Hebrews 4:14)

Both the recipient of the Priest’s blessing, and the recipient of the revered tithe, are lavish in their giving. Their generosity does not compete, and their grace is willing to receive, all in shared benevolence, respect, and honor. Such are our Lord and King, worthy of blessing, offering, and praise. Eternal commutations are not bound by time or limited by our understanding. Would we enter the heavenlies and participate in wonder and praise? How might this scene move our hearts to offer afresh? (Psalm 110:1-4; Hebrews 7:1-10)

In what ways can I tangibly bless and honor others? What will I give, and give back, for all the Lord my benevolent King has bestowed on me? How careful am I not to touch the glory of God, or greed of another? (Isaiah 42:8; Colossians 3:5)

Possessor of heaven and earth, may my giving and receiving be done in reverence of Your worth, according to Your bounty, and for Your glory.

“Now when Sanballat heard that we were building the wall, he was angry and greatly enraged, and he jeered at the Jews. And he said in the presence of his brothers and of the army of Samaria, ‘What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they restore it for themselves? Will they sacrifice? Will they finish up in a day? Will they revive the stones out of the heaps of rubbish, and burned ones at that?’ Tobiah the Ammonite was beside him, and he said, ‘Yes, what they are building—if a fox goes up on it he will break down their stone wall!’ Hear, O our God, for we are despised. Turn back their taunt on their own heads and give them up to be plundered in a land where they are captives. Do not cover their guilt, and let not their sin be blotted out from your sight, for they have provoked you to anger in the presence of the builders.

“So we built the wall. And all the wall was joined together to half its height, for the people had a mind to work.

“But when Sanballat and Tobiah and the Arabs and the Ammonites and the Ashdodites heard that the repairing of the walls of Jerusalem was going forward and that the breaches were beginning to be closed, they were very angry. And they all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and cause confusion in it. And we prayed to our God and set a guard as a protection against them day and night.” Nehemiah 4:1-9

Feeble Jews, weak and unable. Impossible task. Crazy plan, self-serving motives for their nonexistent god. Can’t they see they’re defeated? Meaningless effort. Unreasonable expectations. Shoddy work. How did Nehemiah stand this onslaught to his God-given role and calling?

He saw the taunts for what they were and deflected them with prayer. Despised and ridiculed, they were the Lord’s and on His errand. God was responsible for their protection, and their retribution. He would contend with those who contended with His children. Nehemiah also disarmed them with perseverance. They’d been called to an important work, and it would go on because their Master was faithful. They would not be discouraged or dissuaded from keeping on. (Isaiah 49:25)

Enemy voices pelt from without and within, festering with condescension, cruelty, and criticism. In the flesh, we slide into self-doubt, or condemnation, and wonder whether we heard the initial call correctly. Should it be this hard? What if these accusations are true? Is this really fruitless work? Will I fail? Why is it so hard? But God gives Nehemiah to cheer us on, to come alongside us as model and comrade.

Whatever our task at building or repair, the enemy will attempt to undermine God’s work. What taunts pester? What doubts loiter and tease to undo our resolve? Our Lord is great and awesome, much bigger than our adversaries, far stronger than any threats. Secure in Him we can keep on! Stay focused, and leave the enemy to the Lord’s dealing. (Nehemiah 4:14,15-21)

Father, fix in me a mind to work as You call and lead. Let me not be deterred by worldly distraction, but remain devoted to Your bidding. May I be careful to disarm the enemy so I can finish Your business to Your glory. (John 17:4)