How a question led to action, and how it can happen for us too
By Dean Collins
It started with a question. Questions are good. They help us discover truth, change directions, gather information, and understand. For Nehemiah, the answer to his question led to a burden. If you have read the Scriptures with any regularity, then you have learned that the best thing to do with a burden is to give it to God. This surrender in prayer both lightens the load and sometimes leads us to a plan of action.
A course of action
Nehemiah’s prayer led him to a course of action. As a leader, Nehemiah stood up against the naysayers and those opposed to his plans to rebuild the walls and gates of the city. As the community saw Nehemiah’s courage and heard his confident prayer to proceed, an amazing sequence of activity began.
First, it was Eliashib the high priest who stood up and grabbed part of the frame for the Sheep Gate. His fellow priests and brothers joined him to help and set the doors to the gate in place. They lifted, positioned, and rebuilt the Sheep Gate. As they continued, they consecrated their work to God. They knew what we know. Our work is sacred stuff. To act otherwise is both ignorant and limiting to what God wants to do through us.
Once Eliashib got started, it is hard to keep up with how many others joined in the work. Nehemiah must have been encouraged at the response. He saw the answer to his prayers cascade quickly both in the number of partners involved and in the amount of work being accomplished. If you pay attention to chapter 3 you will notice that 15 times Nehemiah tells us that someone started working next to another person; 16 times we read of people who started working after they saw someone’s work. And 8 times it seems that God simply prompted others independently to join in on some aspect of the project.
Others will follow
When our work is prompted by God through prayer accompanied by vision and followed with a plan, others will follow. A community of people working together will quickly change the future.
I don’t know how big or small the next thing is that God will prompt in your life. The truth is you don’t know either. What is possible might be more significant than you think. God might direct you based on a question that you ask. He might prompt you based on a burden you sense as you see someone’s situation or need. He might nudge you because of the courage of a nearby leader you see working even in the face of opposition and significant resistance. Or maybe you’ll start helping simply because some around you are trying to do some good in your community.
I am pretty sure that your work offered to God today will likely motivate or inspire someone else to join in. This is how the kingdom of God works. We can sit back and watch or we can participate. Maybe your next step is as simple as picking up a rock and placing it on a wall someone is already repairing.
Your time with God’s Word
Nehemiah 3:1-2 ESV
Photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash
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