10 In Judah it was said,“The strength of those who bear the burdens is failing. There is too much rubble. By ourselves we will not be able to rebuild the wall.” . . . 14 And I looked and arose and said to the nobles and to the officials and to the rest of the people, “Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome (Nehemiah 4:10,14)
Nehemiah was building a wall and while this was a welcome task for the people of Israel, the work was laborious. We have all been there. The purpose is great and noble, but there comes a point where you were ready to quit. Chances are, it sounded much like Judah:
“strength . . . is failing” meaning they were tired
“too much rubble” . . . meaning they were overwhelmed
Perhaps you cannot remember a day where you were not both of these things. Our purpose can be a grind. It was never meant to be easy, only worth it. In the holy stubbornness of Nehemiah, he gives us wisdom to combat the desire to throw in the towel of our purpose.
“Do not be afraid” meaning do not make your decisions out of fear
“remember the Lord” meaning do make your decisions from faith
Today’s “Yes” to live my purpose empowers tomorrow’s “No”when tempted to quit. Today, live fearlessly in bold remembrance of the One who saves and sustains you. The champion of souls and the daily grind is fighting for His people. His victory at the cross means you have victory in your purpose.
Thank you Lord for a purpose that is bigger than our ability to fulfill it. Teach us to rely on you and to remember how you have worked in our lives when we were overwhelmed and tired.
Matt simon blog 