TO THE WORK

So built we the wall; and all the
wall was joined together unto the
half thereof: for the people had
a mind to work.
Nehemiah 4:6

Nehemiah is one of my favorite books in the Old Testament. I don't even have a picture in my mind what he looked like. I do know he held a most important job. He worked in the palace in Shushan. His boss was a king by the name of Artaxerxes. Nehemiah had a job probably most men wouldn't want to have. He was the king's cupbearer. Before the king ever took a sip of wine from the cup a servant brought to him, it was Nehemiah's job to take the first sip to insure the king wasn't being poisoned.

On a particular day, there were men who traveled from Jerusalem to report to Nehemiah regarding condition of their city. It was destroyed for the most part, and was in ruins. The men were hoping for some help in restoring their beloved city and was hoping Nehemiah could return to Jerusalem to see to the rebuilding. Nehemiah was grieved in his spirit over the news, but he was also aware of the fact that he was captive and serving the king of his captivity. All he could do was to approach the king about a possible trip back “home.”

Approaching a king in that day was a very precarious thing. You never entered the throne room without an invitation from the king. Nehemiah didn't have that problem as he was usually near the throne most of the time. Another no-no was in one's approach to the king. One had to be in proper attire and with a proper spirit. No one was allowed to be around the king with a sad or mad look on one's face. Nehemiah knew of these protocols but on the day he sat near the throne after he had received the news from friends, his countenance was sad right in front of the king.

 It was quite noticeable to the king and remarkably, the king didn't seem to be offended. Nehemiah explained his concern about the conditions in Jerusalem and had a strong desire to go back even for a brief time to see to the rebuilding.

It would be miraculous for a king to agree to such a thing, but Artaxerxes agreed for him to go and did everything in helping with Nehemiah's trip, even to seeing to his receiving building goods for the project. Nehemiah went with the promise of his return back to serve the king when the building was complete.

The story goes on, but as it would happen, during the building process, opposition surfaced. When doing God's work, it's amazing how quickly Satan catches on to what is transpiring and jumps on his band wagon of discouragement and threatening. In the beginning, the threats came from two men, but when the building continued despite opposition, those building came under sever threats of violence. Nehemiah challenged the people in 4:14:

“Be not ye afraid of them: remember the
Lord, which is great and terrible, and
fight for your brethren, your sons, and
your daughters, your wives and
your houses.”

The enemy was thwarted for a brief time and the people continued with their work. The men were so determined, some for a time, did the building while others stood guard with their weapons. The builders also did their work while having a sword strapped to them. These were determined men, but knew it could take a good fight to get the work finished, thus the need to keep their swords near. They had an alarm system regarding the oncoming enemy. Nehemiah arranged for there to be a trumpet sounding the warning. He added an interesting word of encouragement....:Our God shall fight for us.”

With completion of the wall around Jerusalem, there was such a time of victory and celebration. It included time spent in God's Word, prayer, singing, rejoicing, feasting...a really big time for the people. Nehemiah reminded the people that “the joy of the Lord is your strength.” By the way, that statement is true for us today.

There is so much to this story and I've tried to hit some of the highlights. I was thinking about in these days when Christians all over our country are trying to rebuild walls of ministry. There are Christians discouraged, feeling like they are spiritual failures who want to rebuild so much in their own personal lives. The building of the greater walls is made up with the spiritual building that takes place in individual lives.

God is fighting for us. He wants to empower us to defeat Satan's tactics in our lives. It wasn't just in Nehemiah's day that God fought for the people. He is fighting for us now, but it takes a team effort. God won't force spiritual victory on us. We must want it, to build back some walls we've allowed to be broken down. We do it with the “Sword”...the word of Truth. We will be weak an anemic without it. With the work complete, the people spend hours standing while the Word of God was read.

We also need encouragement of members of God's family to help with what building needs to be done personally or corporately. There are churches struggling with discouragement and defeat. We're not to do the building in our own strength, but in God's and it can be done.

When victory comes, it's okay for us to celebrate any victory God gives us. We don't do this enough as we tend to give ourselves credit for our accomplishments. Let's remember again that “the joy of the Lord is your strength”...may we feel a freedom in celebrating spiritual milestones, but know it was God Who was instrumental in it all.

Father, I need You to help me in ways I need to rebuild some spiritual muscles in my life. Thank You for You being my strength in it all. In Jesus's precious name....Amen

THE GOOD SOLDIER

Shortly after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, men were lining up all over the place to enlist in the armed services. It was considered a great honor enlisting as a soldier in those days. I remember my Daddy taking a train to Chicago to an enlistment center, hoping on top of hope he would be accepted. When he returned home, my mother and I met him at the train and both were in tears. Daddy had not been accepted because of a deformed index finger caused by an accident at work. Mother was happy, Daddy was sad, but they were happy for my uncle who would be going with the Army.

Countless men and women from those early 1940's served our country, served it well and many paid the ultimate price in giving their lives on foreign fields with the intent of preserving our freedoms. In our day, some youth would have a problem in the military. One issue for many could be that of dealing with authority. Armed services demand respect and instant obedience to orders. We live in a day of rebellion as we look at riots and demonstrations many times on the part of college age youth. Choosing a military career in most cases is good for those enlisting where they learn discipline, work ethic and perhaps may learn a job skill that can carry them through life.

I hasten to say though, that rebellion and lack of respect for authority doesn't just rest with the young. At every stage of life, there are those who don't hesitate to show their disdain for any kind of authority. We may not be enlisted in any of our armed services, but as Christians, Scripture gives us the title of “Soldier” whether we accept that title or not. Paul gives us some information regarding being a good soldier for Christ. He begins by speaking of a soldier enduring hardness. Anyone who enlists as a soldier in our country knows that down the road there will be hard times in various degrees. Paul says:

Thou therefore endure hardness,
as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
No man that warreth entangleth himself
with the affairs of this life; that he may
please him who hath chosen him to be
a soldier.
II Timothy 2:3,4

Just in these two brief verses, are found some expectations of us as soldiers of Jesus. We see that God's good soldiers will endure hardships of life that come their way. Those hardship times can run the gamut from bad to worse.

Why are we to avoid becoming entangled in the things of the world? Such robs us of our proper focus on our Commander. It's easy to find ourselves pleasing self and not pleasing Him who has provided for our every spiritual welfare. There can be only one Commander-in-Chief and he takes authority over all officers. It's easy to follow a lower officer and lose sight of the real Commander. This often happens in church settings where pastors or teachers become almost god-like in their relationships with the flock. Such leaders seem to draw people to themselves and not to the real Commander-in-Chief of our faith.

Many orders in the military are handed down through a staff of officers. When those orders reach soldiers, there can be no arguing or giving of opinion. As solders in God's army, we too have orders. We have received them through His Word to us. What we learn as we read isn't to be corrected, marginalized or ignored. We are to instantly obey in absolute loyalty to our Heavenly Father.

The important thing is realize we are in a battle. Satan is the enemy and does everything to defeat us or keep us in states of depression or anxiety. He would have us make choices not pleasing to our Father and that would be of harm to us. We know, though, that with Jesus we have the capability of victory in our lives. Scripture tells us that the Holy Spirit in us is greater than Satan who walks through the world looking for people to trip up...especially God's people.

Oh yes, our uniform. Just as we know folks by certain uniforms...policemen, nurses, firemen, and others...we too have a uniform, unlike those folks mentioned. Scripture tells us that we will be known by our love. We are known by the love Jesus pours into us and then through us into the lives of others.

Soldiers seem to stay fit. We too should stay fit spiritually for the battles we are often called on to fight. Our Commander encourages us and cheers us on at every turn. We are strengthened by God's Word taught to us by His Holy Spirit. That same Holy Spirit prompts us any number of times to keep us going in the right direction. We are strengthened through a consistent prayer life and of being regularly in the Scriptures.

Every asset is available to us from God to be strong and at the same time loving for this life we are called on to live. He has purpose for each of us and is available to us at any time. He wants each of us to Christians who are victorious and who bring glory to Him. Our stint in this life will be over only when our Father calls us to Himself in heaven where there will be no more battles, illness or mental anxieties. We will be Home...not just on leave...but HOME.

Father, thank You for bringing me to Yourself and for all the blessings You pour into my life even though I'm so undeserving. May I serve You well and love others as You would want. Thank You for your Holy Spirit who resides in me and for Jesus, Who made it all possible for me to be in relationship with You. In Whose name I pray...Amen

QUIT YER FRETTIN'

Fret not thyself because of evildoers,
neither be thou envious against the
workers of iniquity.
Psalm 37:1

It's a word I used to hear many years ago. I can picture in my mind some “older” ladies who have said to me at one time or another, “Quit yer frettin'.” To be honest, I didn't know what fretting, but I knew from their voices that I was doing something at the moment I shouldn't do and connected it with my immediate attitude.

Just recently, I taught an evening Bible study on Psalm 37. For as long as I can remember teaching ladies in Sunday school or Bible studies, I've had more ladies than I can count say to me, “I just don't understand the Bible so I don't read it as much as I should.” One thing I have said to them is that they will never understand the Scriptures without the Holy Spirit interpreting it for them, which He is happy to do when invited. However, there are some chapters in Scripture it doesn't take a PhD to figure out and Psalm 37 is one of those chapters.

For instance, just in Psalm 37, that is by the way on the lengthy side, I see several short phrases that speak in very clear tones, such as:

*Trust in the Lord and do good (3)
*Delight thyself also in the Lord (4)
*Commit thy way unto the Lord (5)
*Rest in the Lord (7)
*Cease from anger (8)
*Depart from evil (27)
*Wait on the Lord (34)
*Mark the perfect man (37)

I'm no brain child, but upon even first glance, I see clearly the expectation Scripture requires of me. I say all of that to focus on the theme verse I have put at the top of the page. That verse got my attention because I see “fret not” again in verses 7 and 8. Perhaps there are other phrases repeated but this one caught my attention.

David even as king didn't have an easy life. Prior to being the official king, he was chased down by a jealous Saul who wanted only to kill David. Again, he was chased down by his own son, had battles to fight and major problems to see through. David like you and me was frustrated when he saw evil seeming to be victorious and nothing happening to the offenders.

I have some friends and I include myself who in recent days have been going through some frustration because of some events over which we have absolutely no control. We looked at this Psalm together and I spent a little more time on the subject of fretting. So what is fretting? Fretting is a constant state of worry or anxiety. These two things, however, have never been known to solve one single problem, but the fretting process can take its toll on the fretter.

Men do their share of fretting, but more often, we women are real culprits in this area. We are very chemical and we wear our feelings very close to the surface of our beings. We are also the ones who want to solve every problem or crisis. When we see things that are wrong and can't solve them, we fret. I think we often feel if we aren't fretting about an issue, it might look like we don't care, as if fretting shows our depth of care. Perhaps that's how Satan wants us to deal with things so we are almost paralyzed to the point of uselessness. It wouldn't be the first time we fell for his schemes.

The problem with fretting is that it continues until who-knows-when and during that time, fretting turns into anger. That anger intensifies over time and eventually, left on its own, can lead us into the depths of depression and leave us with some serious health issues. David, without any explanation, chose to stress this simple command..”.Fret not”...three times for a good reason. I believe he knew from good experience the damage fretting could cause.

Whether it's fretting or any negative mental exercise we choose, we know we have to stop doing it. However, we need not feel out of control and defeated. Scripture will never give us a command we cannot obey. What we have to do is rely on God's power to enable this victory. Whether our concern regards health issues, employment, financial problems or any of the big and little cares of this world, God will enable us to lay them at His feet. Consistent and often many sessions of prayer is the major cure for the problem....so...”quit yer frettin'.”

I'm sorry, Father, for taking so much on myself instead of trusting and leaning on You. You have all the answers as to anything that troubles me. Thank You for Your every provision for my safety and sanity. You are such a Great Father and I thank You. In Jesus' name...Amen

THE OLD CLOTHESLINE

Whither shall I go from thy spirit?
Or whither shall I flee from thy
presence?
If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there:
if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.
If I take the wings of the morning, and
dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;
Even there shall thy hand lead me,
and thy right hand shall hold me.
Psalm 139:7-10

Someone put a picture on my Face book last week of a backyard with clotheslines. The caption on the picture said, “Do you remember this?” I remember replying to myself, “Boy do I ever.” As soon as I could begin to reach a clothesline, my Mother had me hanging wet clothes on those lines every Monday. We always had good sturdy clotheslines, but they also served another purpose in my own life from when I was about four years old and maybe even a little younger.

My husband will tell you and perhaps my children as well, that I am a wanderer. We can go into a grocery store or Wal-mart and Brian knows to keep an eye on me all the time or he'll lose me. I don't notice that I wander. I forget I'm even with anyone so if I spot something down an aisle or think of something I need to get, I just take off to find it. I think it's been this way as long as I can remember.

However, this tendency of mine began when young. MANY years ago, when I was just a little thing, life was friendly, simple and safe. As a little girl, I loved going from neighbor to neighbor just to say hello. Folks on our side of the street on our block just expected to see me on a regular basis. The problem with that friendly spirit was that when my Mother would look for me in our yard, I wasn't there. She knew I was okay, but just not just where exactly.

Mother devised a plan. To help break me from my wandering, she would tie a rope around my waist, rope the thickness of a jump rope. The rope wasn't the length of a jump rope though. The other end of that rope was thrown over a clothes line and tied in a knot that easily moved back and forth on the line. It was long enough for me to reach the back steps of the house and the out house. It wasn't long enough, however, for me to leave the back yard. I hated that rope. I knew it's purpose. but no matter how many times I was tied to the clothesline, I was still prone to wander.

Aside from my tendencies to wander physically, I must confess to you that, as much as I hate admitting it, I'm also prone to wander spiritually. By the way, I'm not the only one with this particular problem. Satan is a pro in placing inviting things in our way that may not seem to be of any particular danger. There is an older hymn we have sung with the following phrase:

“Prone to wander, Lord I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love.”

After having had three children, I know the panic a mom feels when looking for a child where he or she is supposed to be and aren't where they are supposed to be. However, I didn't understand my Mother's concern at the time, but after becoming a parent, I knew her concern all too well. Parents can't be everywhere all the time and I'm not sure they would even want to be, but with a wandering little girl, I think my Mother would have appreciated some kind of help.

For years, I have dearly loved Psalm 139. It is full to the brim regarding God's knowledge and care of each of us. The blessing in it all is no matter where we are or where we go, His presence is always with us. Whether we stand, sit, lay in bed, go for a walk, wander through a department store, He is with us. He also is with us when spiritually wandering. We live in a world so different from the little four year old girl I was. The worse thing in the world to happen to me was to be tied to that dreaded clothesline like a puppy dog. (Yep, some folks did that with their little dogs). Now we see a plummeting culture leaving long-established morals and ethics far behind with no restraints.

As an adult, it's my responsibility to keep my spiritual wandering in check. The Holy Spirit will empower me to do what is right and godly, it becomes my responsibility to yield to that leadership and not to the mentality of the world Satan seems to have such a hold on.

I'm glad that clothesline of yore is only a memory now. I find that God has His ways of putting me in check when called for. I never want to get away from His discipline and correction. Whatever form His clothesline takes in my life, I recognize it, as I do now with my Mother, that it's an instrument of love in my life.

Dear Father, I'm grateful for Your guidance and correction in my life. I don't mean to wander from Your ways. I'm sorry for those times I disappoint You. I'm so grateful for Your love and discipline in my life. I love You....in Jesus' name....Amen