I Am Doing a Good Work

My YouVersion reading this past week took me through the story of Nehemiah and the rebuilding of the wall of Jerusalem.  Think it is interesting that nothing miraculous happened in that event.  God just used people who were committed to do what He laid on their heart to do.

I was catching up on listening to some podcasts and I listened to a message from Andy Stanley, who used the story of Nehemiah to launch into the new year.  He emphasized a verse I had read and it further cemented that principle in my mind.

Nehemiah, who lead the rebuilding, faced many different obstacles.  Two of those obstacles were named Sanballat and Geshem.  They wanted to distract Nehemiah by pulling him off the wall.

Read their invitation and note Nehemiah’s response from Nehemiah 6:2-4

“Sanballat and Geshem sent me this message: “Come, let us meet together in one of the villages on the plain of Ono.” But they were scheming to harm me; so I sent messengers to them with this reply: “I am carrying on a great project and cannot go down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and go down to you?”  Four times they sent me the same message, and each time I gave them the same answer.”

Nehemiah didn’t allow their words distract him from the good work God had given him.  Andy Stanley made the point that while each of us has a different work we are doing, we cannot allow distractions to cause us to stop and leave that good work.

While we may not be rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem, what good work has God given each one of us to do that we shouldn’t leave for other distractions?