Clearly my mind is on missions after our heart grabbing mission Sunday. But...it suddenly struck me while reading chapter two of Nehemiah one more time...Nehemiah was a missionary. He was clearly on a mission. His trip to a people in need was funded by an outside source. His trip was led by God through answered prayer and opened doors. He got the call...he made a plan...he moved into action. What happens next is fascinating to me. He gathered this discouraged, ragged, and pitiful band of folks and pulled them together as a community. "Come on, guys...let's rebuild this wall!" It is believed that each family built the portion of the wall that protected their domain. This ensured that the wall would be strong. Because after all, if you are building your own section to protect your own bunch...you will build it extra strong...right? Just human nature...I wonder if there could have been a little "who can build the strongest wall competition". Nehemiah rallied the troops...he was rebuilding more than a wall...he was assisting God in rebuilding a sense of community and pride in the people.
Have you ever been a part of community of brothers and sisters serving others? There is nothing like the mountain top experience that comes through exhausted efforts when you work along side others to serve. What a blessing to be part of a giving, living church...a body of believers. Is the church perfect? Goodness, no...not when it's full of people! We are a mess. It is God who is perfect and He does such a mighty work in us. One person can set a work in motion...when that spark starts a fire and one becomes many...Satan better get out of the way! Nehemiah was the spark...with his God-led guidance a community of families rebuilt the wall in fifty-two days...record time!
What kind of wall would you have built to protect your family? I'm pretty sure my husband and I would have built a mighty wall to protect our little brood. We have three kiddos, two spouses, and six grands. Side by side, shoulder to shoulder, passing boulders up and down the line we would have worked with vigor to build something that would endure the most aggressive of assaults. Have we worked as tirelessly to build spiritual walls around our families? Have we "built" Godly children that can endure the many assaults of the world? My prayer is for the gathering of many Christians of different ages, cultures, and backgrounds to work together side by side to build our faith...
Hey, we'll scoot over; let's lock arms...come find your place on the "wall"!
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