Hi how are you all today? I am well and have just been on a week’s holiday. It was fun exploring and also relaxing. What is your favourite thing to do on holidays? There was a nice surprise waiting for me when I arrived home- warmer weather which is great.
This week I have been reading the book of Nehemiah. He was upset to see the state of Jerusalem after the 70 year captivity and began a rebuilding program. His task was the city walls. These had been badly damaged.
One amazing fact before we go further. The people rebuilt these walls in 56 days. That is a massive achievement. They must have had supernatural power from God to do that. But the most amazing thing is that they did it, holding their tools in one hand and their sword in another (this occurred after opposition arose).
For me, this is a beautiful picture of us building the kingdom of God. The wall is the kingdom built up of living stones (people) where Jesus is the cornerstone. This wall is not finished yet as many more people need to be added in to the kingdom. It won’t be completed until Jesus comes on His white horse (after the rapture).
So, who are the workers? You and I. God needs us to build this wall. Jesus has come- lived, died and resurrected to give us all we need. God also sent the Holy Spirit to us to assist us. So what do we need to build this wall? Tools and swords.
Tools are things like your voice, computer, serving plates, kindness and the other fruit of the Spirit, musical instruments, books etc.
The tools represent our giftings and talents to serve people and our sword is the Word of God where through it we can give encouragement and teaching. Both the tools and the swords benefits go both ways. But overarching both needs to be love – the love of God and the love we have for others.
When we are building something or doing something, the thing is generally growing but we also get satisfaction out of a job well done. This is the same as the tools we use to build Gods kingdom. Our giftings build others up but give us satisfaction too. If you are a preacher, the tool of your voice when used in love can build others up and as you see them grow, you get satisfaction in that.
The sword works the same way. We can speak the Word of God to others in encouragement or to help them out in their situation. But as we read and use the Word of God ourselves it can do the same for us.
The final thing that the builders of the wall did was that they worked together. This is what Nehemiah told them in chapter 4:
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, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes
On the wall as they worked, they were to build for others, their children, their spouses and their homes. They were required to look out for each other and if one was attacked, they were to go and help. Each had their section of the wall to work on.
In the church today, we each have our section of the kingdom of God to build. There is no point in getting jealous of someone else as their section has not been assigned to us. We each have our own section. We are to build our section not alone, but with our family, leaving none behind. When one Christian is attacked, we don’t join in the attack but go and help them out.
This is a picture of what God requires each of us to do – stay in our section, build ourselves and others, use the Word of God and where required, help others to build their bit of the kingdom.
There is one purpose in God because there is one God and if we each do our part, the kingdom will be built.
Have a great week and keep living the life God intended for you.
Bless you
Karen
PS Please download a copy of my new book called From Egypt to the Promised Land and leave a review on Amazon if you liked it. Thanks
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