Day 224
Nehemiah 3:15-5:13; 1 Corinthians 7:25-40; Psalm 32:1-11; Proverbs 21:5-7
Overcoming Difficulty with a Vision
Nehemiah was a great encourager of the downtrodden people of Jerusalem. Their walls had been torn down when they were in exile. They have now been allowed to return to their homeland, but it was not the same. Nehemiah went to King Artaxerxes and got permission for the rebuilding of the walls that surrounded Jerusalem in order to restore the city to its former glory.
His great leadership was displayed in how he built teams of people to do the work of rebuilding around the city. He showed them that it was in their own self-interest to build. He convinced them that if each one of them did a small segment of the whole, it would get done and done well.
Nehemiah’s vision of what could happen caused the people to set their hearts and minds on the project before them so that they did not lose faith but kept on persevering through the obstacles they faced.
Many times in our own lives, we allow the difficulties of everyday life to slow us down and even to cause us to question our faith, but by keeping our heart focused on what is important, what is the vision, what is the goal, we can get through each challenge that comes up. What is your vision today? Is it a life filled with joy for the coming Kingdom? Have you done your part to get ready?
Lord, please give us courage to face each day, doing our best to rebuild your Kingdom here on Earth, and not letting the daily tests slow us down. Amen.
Phyllis Bartle