Willingness… there’s a blessing in it!
Jerusalem hasn’t been populated for quite some time. The wall around Jerusalem had been restored along with the temple at this point. It’s time for Jerusalem to be repopulated. Many circumstances were involved in the restoration of the city of Israel. Consider families needing to be uprooted from where they were comfortable, or them not knowing if Jerusalem would be permanent, or the difficulty of reestablishing practically and family/friend support. To say the least, it was a big step.
As the people moved back into Jerusalem some were appointed, others were cast lots for, then we find others who volunteered. We read, “And the people blessed all the men who volunteered to live in Jerusalem.” Nehemiah 11:2
There was a willingness of some to move beyond personal comfort. Did they know they would be blessed by others when they did? Probably not… they were choosing to give of themselves and trust the Lord with the details. Their willingness brought blessing.
What about you and I? Are we willing to be inconvenienced for Jesus and others? I know it’s hard (at least for me) but we need to realize more each day this life isn’t about us and our personal comforts. Where is the Lord leading you too? Or who is He leading you to minister to? What thing in your life is He asking you die to in order to live out Christ? What is King Jesus saying to you today?
Don’t do it for the blessing, do it to be obedient, but know our Father always blesses, it just may be different than we expect. Are you willing?
-To Know Jesus. To Live on Mission.