Nehemiah 4:6 “So we built the wall, and the entire wall was joined together up to half its height, for the people had a mind to work.”
A pastor speaking at Liberty University when I was one of the Campus Pastors asked me if he might meet Dr. Jerry Falwell. With a phone call, a time was arranged for me to bring the pastor to Dr. Falwell’s office. After the normal greetings, the pastor asked Dr. Falwell if he would be kind enough to share a few of the traits that had allowed him to accomplish the many things he had accomplished for the Lord. Dr. Falwell did not hesitate to answer the insightful question saying, “I work harder and longer than others.”
Does the answer he gave surprise you? It did not surprise me for I had heard Dr. Falwell say many times that we should PRAY as if everything depended on God and WORK as if everything depended on us. I think that Nehemiah would agree. Throughout the Book of Nehemiah, we find the phrase “So I prayed.” Nehemiah PRAYED. There is no doubt about that. And throughout the book of Nehemiah, we find that heand God’s people WORKED. We read of it here in Nehemiah 4:6. The vision to rebuild the wall may have sounded like WISHFUL thinking but because of the people putting their hands to the good work (Neh. 2:18) the wall was being rebuilt.
It takes WORK for WISHES to come true.
Do you have a mind to WORK? Some of the hardest work a lazy person does is figuring out excuses so they don’t have to work. In the Book of Proverbs, one of the people you will meet is the LAZY man. In the 14 verses that reference him you will not find anything good said about him. There is however much praise for the one who works hard and is diligent with assignments. Notice the contrast between the lazy man and the diligent man in Proverbs 12:27 as it says, “The lazy man does not roast what he took in hunting, But diligence is man’s precious possession.”
Do you have a mind to work?
What are your takeaways from your DATE with the Word? How does “Pray as if everything depended on God and work as if everything depended on you” impact your thinking?
AN APRIL TO BELIEVE note
With Easter on April 20, we are reading through the gospel of John. On this April 6th, we encourage you to read/listen to John 6 where Christ is the Bread of Life and the key verse regarding believing is John 6:69. It says, “Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” May April be an April to Believe!
Continue Strong,
And remember to DATE The Word