Closeness defeats chaos in every circumstance!
Nehemiah continues to face opposition. The intensity increases as their enemies create false narratives (v5-6), try to divide their nation (v18-19), and even use men of God to push their agenda (v12-13). Read Nehemiah 6… it’s in there! You can’t make this up. Does this sound familiar to anything we deal with today?
“Then I sent to him, saying, “No such things as you say have been done, for you are inventing them out of your own mind.” For they all wanted to frighten us, thinking, “Their hands will drop from the work, and it will not be done.” But now, O God, strengthen my hands.” Nehemiah 6:8-9
We’re called to live on mission for the Lord today, in all we do. Much like Nehemiah the environment of our world is the same. Nehemiah overcame the chaos by his closeness with the Lord. We see him praying through situations, standing firm in what the Lord spoke to him, and discerning what’s of the Lord. It’s only by being in relationship with the Lord Nehemiah is able to overcome. He didn’t rely on his own strength, but his strength was in the Lord.
You and me, we have a call on our lives to live out the truth of the gospel. We cannot give what we do not have… and what we need to be giving is the goodness of God. “We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.” Romans 6:4
-To Know Jesus. To Live on Mission.