Working With One Hand & Warring With The Other

This morning will be yet another attempt for me to climb out of the "quiet" zone I've been stuck in for the last week. Each morning, I've started the day with plans to blog what's on my heart, and each day I have hit "delete" after a few minutes of rambling and not feeling like I was getting anywhere.

My quiet time for the last several days has been centered around the life Nehemiah. As I've tried to understand more about where my journey has taken me these last few days, I can't seem to get away from this incredible passage in God's word.

I've always loved the story of Nehemiah. I think it's because I can so identify with his life, and his calling to do something that most everyone thought was crazy, perhaps even impossible. Listen to some of the things that were said as Nehemiah was attempting to lead the rebuilding of the wall...

Nehemiah 4:2 "....What are those feeble Jews doing? Will they restore their wall? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they finish in a day? Can they bring the stones back to life from those heaps of rubble—burned as they are?"

Nehemiah 4:3 "...What they are building—if even a fox climbed up on it, he would break down their wall of stones!"

Even his own people were growing weary... Nehemiah 4:10 "Meanwhile, the people in Judah said, "The strength of the laborers is giving out, and there is so much rubble that we cannot rebuild the wall." Also our enemies said, "Before they know it or see us, we will be right there among them and will kill them and put an end to the work."

I think what is most amazing about Nehemiah was his natural instinct to just go right back to the "word" that God had given him whenever he faced discouragement, difficulty, and even danger. I love his response to his people..."Don't be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes."

So was Nehemiah's confidence in God's plan and God's "word" to him contagious? I love the picture that is painted in the next few verses... (v.16-20) "From that day on, half of my men did the work, while the other half were equipped with spears, shields, bows and armor. The officers posted themselves behind all the people of Judah who were building the wall. Those who carried materials did their work with one hand and held a weapon in the other, and each of the builders wore his sword at his side as he worked. But the man who sounded the trumpet stayed with me. Then I said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, "The work is extensive and spread out, and we are widely separated from each other along the wall. Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, join us there. Our God will fight for us!"

Even as I revisited this passage this morning, I've been reminded that I cannot do God's work unless I learn to work one handed.... that is, one hand doing the work and one hand doing the warfare!

Isn't it amazing that we would even think it was possible to accomplish anything with any eternal value or significance without encountering some spiritual opposition along the way? We have been fooled.... we've bought in to the modern day thinking that if we just serve God and do what's right, everything will just be great all of the time. The only problem is that there's no evidence in scripture to back that up!

Fast forward a couple of chapters in Nehemiah's journey and you'll find that he is still working with one hand and warring with the other. His very life was being threatened, yet he stood firm.... "They were all trying to frighten us thinking, "Their hands will get too weak for the work, and it will not be completed."But I prayed, "Now strengthen my hands." - Nehemiah 6:9

As the wall is finally completed, Nehemiah was quick to remember the source of his strength..."So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of Elul, in fifty-two days. When all our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and lost their self-confidence, because they realized that this work had been done with the help of our God." - Nehemiah 6:15

It's interesting to note that the great work that God chose to accomplish through Nehemiah was so astounding that it shook the surrounding nations. And the battle plan was simple.... work with one hand and war with the other!

God help me to never attempt to do your work without your power.... Lord, strengthen my hands!

Whatever It Takes,
Chip