DAY 21

Reading: Nehemiah 6Nehemiah 7

Faith - “And it happened, when all our enemies heard of it, and all the nations around us saw these things, that they were very disheartened in their own eyes; for they perceived that this work was done by out God.” (Nehemiah 6:16)

Reflection: The wall was complete, but the problems were just starting. Sometimes we have the false idea that if we can just get to some level of success then all our problems will go away. I have found that the more successful you are, the more problems you have. This is not only true generally in life, but especially in Christ’s mission. Some call this the wall, others the valley, some even the Dark Night of the Soul. Enduring is hard and it takes resilience which is the strength to press through difficult challenges. If we take the mountain, what then? Is the work over? Will the problems be gone? Let’s not be so naive. Instead we need certain virtues that strengthen our resolve. None of them more important than faith in the ability of God to the degree that building the walls or taking the mountain is something he does. Even the enemies of Nehemiah knew this and it frightened them. We have to cling to the truth that God is the fixer while we are the caregiver, God is the power while we are the vessel, and God is the producer of fruit while we are the branch that bears it. Lose sight of the reality that this id God’s work and your heart will quickly melt.

Prayer: “Abba, we can’t do anything substantial without you, yet it’s easy to take our eyes of your, your ways, and your plans only to lose heart in the face of brokenness and trouble. Give us faith to cling to you and your work especially when it is hard to do.”