For the people had a mind to work!

Nehemiah 4:6 So built we the wall; and all the wall was joined together unto the half thereof: for the people had a mind to work.

Back in Nehemiah’s day they had it in their mind to build. They saw the condition of their beloved city and were saddened. God had given him the favor and it was God’s will to rebuild Jerusalem, the city of His Joy. The people had grown tired of living under rulers of other Gods and a strange people and wanted to build their own city again and restore God’s glory in their lives and in the temple.

 Are we not the same? 

We've walked with God and been close to Him but at times feel far from Him and actually may get far from Him. We, then as Israel did, begin to live under rulers and in the middle of warfare and attack as our jealous God can put pressure on us to return to His Word. Look out! Here come the Amalekites! I speak metaphorically. God, just as an earthly father would, might put us through correcting and punishment to teach us something, yet be with us and protect us at the same time from harm. Heb 12:6 "because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastens every one he accepts as a son."  God may keep us from great destruction but yet let us go through trials, correction and not have the power that we once knew in Him.... If you feel far from Him it is possible that you are!

If you feel far from Him it is possible that you are!

Look at what the scripture says, about our nearness and separation from God, basically that there are levels of closeness to Him.

“Draw close to God and He will draw close to you” Means that God can be far and can be close… distance. Yes God is near us all , but He gave the “Spirit without measure”(John 3:34) to some. “Precept on precept, line upon line.” “Build up you most holy faith”… sometimes faith comes by building … faith always works but sometimes “this kind cometh not our but by prayer and fasting” Mark 9:29 There are levels of power with God, levels of closeness…there are many places in scripture that teach this. “Christ could do no miracles in Jerusalem for their lack of faith” … faith being limited by belief.

There were “Seven sons of Sceba, a Jewish priest who tried to cast out a devil” “in the name of Christ in whom Paul preaches” they proclaimed at the possessed man.. “Paul I know and Christ I know but who are you!” he exclaimed and beat them, sending them out of the house bleeding….… you see it’s obvious now and you get my point. If you want more power, to be closer to Him, seek Him more, for “He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him”. I’ve known many people with problems of all kinds who seek God continually and they in turn continually land on their feet during trials and become closer to God and get answers to prayer.

Recently I had been receiving constant harassment from the enemy. Obvious, continual things, where he was trying to just annoy me and “wear out the saints”. I began to wonder… why annoy me, why badger me? Why do little things to make life difficult, isn’t there something better for him to do? Blessings come and then two bad things, as the devil tries to stop our joy. Is it any wonder God commands us to love His kingdom first, for our very joy in Him is our strength. If we focus on our loss always we may miss the appointed road of God's victory!  I talked to a friend once who told me he thinks of it like the Clubber Lang/Rocky fight where he kept on egging on his opponent when he hit him “ come on” “hit me again” over and over… showing he had strength.  The enemy will not stop when you are down, for him it is war at any cost.. Does not the scripture even say "we are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed but not in despair; persecuted but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed;"

The war is on whether you like it or not. 

Whether you fight or don’t. Years ago I was talking with a guy who was a Satanist. He said he tried Christianity once and he never got fought so much in his life, constant problems happened until he lost heart and gave up. When he quit much of the trials he had subsided. The enemy left him alone. I’ve heard this story countless times from anybody who tries to follow God. When God puts it in our hearts to build. Like Nehemiah we may be building with one hand on our sword and one hand building(Neh 4:17) because the enemy is after us to stop our building. If we quit, he wins, if we get tired and decide it’s not so important and get caught up in the cares of life, he wins. But God has put it in our minds to build. This is why in Neh 4:6 they got so much done and God’s wisdom was on them. They ignored the tricks of their foes and finished the wall and the temple. When they performed the sacrifice God gave them great joy and they had a protected city and resumed to live as God intended. A day In Gods courts was worth being close to their love. The king of Kings.

There is a cross before the upper room..

 Don’t give up! The King of Kings lives in you. If you are lacking what you once had or need more of God there is a closer walk with God. Ok... ready?  One hand on your sword and the other build the wall. There is an end to your toil. There is a glory coming…The sword is the Word of God, the mystery of Jesus himself and the Word of God that pierces the darkness. The city wall is you! You are the temple of God, in which God abides, is jealous over and gave his life for! "Therefore, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily besets us."

I'm not talking about a work your way to heaven thing here. It's just that God may be putting His father finger on some things in your life. I'm talking about a  city wall in disrepair. When the devil met Jesus at the temptation "he found no place in Him". We must "resist the devil and he will flee from us". Friend... I think I see him coming back for more. Rebuild and Cleanse the temple and see God's glory.

Rebuild and Cleanse the Temple and see God's glory!

1 Pet 5:10 But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.
2 Cor 3:10 Indeed, what was once glorious has no glory now in comparison to the glory that surpasses it.
2 Thes 2:14 To this he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.