Doing A Great Work II...

"LORD,  ... all that we have accomplished, you have done for us," (cf. Isaiah 26:12, NIV).

"... your fruitfulness comes from me," (cf. Hosea 14:8, NIV).

"But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for the finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus--the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God," (cf. Acts 20:24, NLT).

"But none of these things move me, neither do I count my life dear unto myself, so that I may finish my course with joy, and the ministry which I have received of the Lord Jesus," (cf. Acts 20:24, KJV).

"I venture not to speak of nothing but what Christ has accomplished through me," (cf. Romans 15:18).  

 Nehemiah was not a prophet, nor a priest, nor a king, and he did no miracles, in fact, he was like any of us (he was only a cupbearer to the king), and did what we can do when the LORD blesses our work and we are called to do His will and we realize and fulfill our mission.  The book has no miracles, prophecies, nor great teaching, revelation, or wisdom, or poetry, but it shows God's quiet hand at work behind the scenes in the everyday work of the LORD.  Things we can do if we have a work ethic like his! 

But he was in a funk because he mourned for the city of David, Zion, the Jewish capital of Jerusalem, that it was in ruins. His depression became known to the king and he had the audacity to ask permission to take a leave of absence to repair his beloved city.  What do you know? His request was granted. The Jews were in exile but soon to return to the Promised Land and Job One was to rebuild the Wall. We see in this book of Nehemiah that he is the greatest motivator in the Bible, for he got results and the people worked for him with godly zeal. When we dedicate our work and effort to the LORD, we also get blessed in the fruit of our labors. 

We can see the hand of God upon him throughout the book even though it is not mentioned in particular. The one time that it does seem to give God the glory is when it says that the wall was rebuilt in only fifty-two days, a miracle in itself. Nehemiah was not a micromanager but he knew that when people believed they were doing God's work that he would get results.  He probably thought that if he didn't do it, that it wouldn't get done  He saw a need and fulfilled it; a key to success!  Thus the value and necessity of the work.  He saw that it was God who opened the doors for him to even get to first base and this was obvious: the LORD was with him from the get-go. He knew to abide in Christ so to speak or to walk with God as they said in the Old Testament. Though he was obedient to the heavenly vision, he knew he would get and did get opposition. He had enemies!  

When they tried to interrupt him while at work, he said, "I cannot come down [from the wall] for I am doing a great work."  He saw the LORD's work as a great and grand one and that it brought Him glory. The point is that he was obedient for faith and obedience are linked: Dietrich Bonhoeffer said, "Only he who believes is obedient; only he who is obedient believes."  And he was like Habakkuk, who said, "The righteous shall live by faith [their faithfulness]."  (cf. Heb. 10:28; Romans 1:17).  We must see that faith and faithfulness are the same Hebrew word and they cannot be separated, only distinguished; they go hand in hand!   

This great motivator and leader of men knew how to inspire as well; to give the men a work ethic! "The people had a mind to work!"  That's what you call having the mindset for the LORD's work.  When the people faced opposition and enemies on the wall, even as they worked, he told them: "Fight for your families..."  People have to be able to put things into perspective and have a reason to fight. Remember the words of Alfred, Lord Tennyson's poem Charge of the Light Brigade that goes:  "Ours is not to reason why is our to do and die." That kind of attitude seems glum and depressing but that is often the only motivation the world will give you. 

We must see that God's work is our privilege and we can take part in accomplishing His will to bring Him glory.  The Westminster Shorter Catechism says, "The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy him forever."  We are to "trust in the LORD with all our heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding, in all thy ways acknowledge him and he shall direct thy paths."  (cf. Prov. 3:5-6).  We must understand that all that we accomplish is by God's working in us and He did it through us as His instruments of glory or honor; as Paul said, in Romans 15:18, "I venture not to speak of nothing but what the Lord has accomplished through me." 

In sum, nothing can give you the doldrums faster and more seriously than knowing the will of God and not being able to do it, and nothing can bounce you out of it faster than getting to work doing His will and making yourself useful in the kingdom work and God's will or completing the calling and mission God gave you; therefore, if your calling is to climb rocks, hope for rocks and even that you will die doing God's will and what you enjoy, just like they asked Saint Francis what he would do if only he had one hour to live while he was doing his gardening at the convent, and he said that he would finish his gardening!  Soli Deo Gloria!