Now it came to
pass when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and Geshem the Arabian, and
the rest of our enemies, heard that I had builded the wall,
and that there was no breach left therein; (though at that
time I had not set up the doors upon the gates;) That
Sanballat and Geshem sent unto me, saying, Come, let us meet
together in some one of the villages in the plain of Ono.
But they thought to do me mischief. And I sent messengers
unto them, saying, I am doing a great work, so that I cannot
come down.
(Nehemiah 6: 1- 3)
There's a children's
song that goes like this:
Nehemiah, he rebuilt
the walls of old Jerusalem
He made them strong so they
would stand
Without a breach there in.
Sanballat
tried with all his might
To turn him aside
But He
said, I've so much work to do
I can't come down today.
Well, I'm working on a
great work and I can't come down
I'm building for
eternity and Heavens' shining crown.
I'm building for my
Father, got no time for fooling round
I'm working on a
great work and I can't come down!
We have to admire
Nehemiah and the gigantic task that he undertook. Jerusalem
was in ruins yet he took a group of men and started
re-building. God had given him a burden and he went out to
do the work. People complained. People looked at the size of
the task. Others found more important things to do. Some
found fault with him, some ridiculed him. But Nehemiah was
focused on the work before him.
Notice he said, "I
can't come down." He was up on those wall, building and the
work restrained him. He said "I'm not able to come down." In
school we were taught the difference between "can" and
"may." "May" meant that we were allowed or permitted to do
something. "Can" meant that we were physically capable of
doing something. I've always thrilled at the idea that
Nehemiah was so involved and committed to the work he had to
do that he physically couldn't lay it aside and go down. God
may have permitted him to do it but the impetus of the work
restrained him. It kept him on task, he HAD to do the work.
What was this that
restrained him from doing what might have been permitted? It
was the Great Work of God that he was doing! Back then it
was just rebuilding a physical wall. But Nehemiah was so
devoted, so determined, that he physically couldn't make
himself get down off that wall and do something else.
Oh, may our devotion
to building the Kingdom of God be so compelling and may we
be so devoted to that work that we HAVE to be involved in
the Father's business. May nothing be so important as to
lure us away. May Satan be held at bay by the Power of the
Great Work God has entrusted us to do!
__________________________
Permission is granted
to use these inspirational messages in any way for the glory
of God, with no need to attribute anything to me.
