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In Order. With the Help of Our God

September 27, 2017. Nehemiah 6-7.

 

Have you ever accomplished a feat or done something that those around you knew you must have had divine help?

As we look at Nehemiah 6:15-16 we see such an example.

15 So on October 2 the wall was finished—just fifty-two days after we had begun.16 When our enemies and the surrounding nations heard about it, they were frightened and humiliated. They realized this work had been done with the help of our God.

What an incredible testimony! Once the wall had been completed in Jerusalem, those who saw what had been accomplished “realized this work had been done with the help of our God.” When was the last time you experienced this? When was the last time you finished, achieved, conquered, something that when everything was said and done, you and everyone around knew it was with the help of God?

Now does this mean that only HUGE, massive, unbelievable feats are evidence of God’s helping hand? I don’t think so one bit! How many times has God been the key factor in our successes and we simply fail to acknowledge His contribution? I believe this happens more often than not. I think our God is a God who is contagiously connected with His creation. Who is not lazy or far off, but intimately intertwined with each of our lives. 

Don’t we all have those people we’ve come across or encountered at some point that after meeting them and seeing them interact with the world around them, we just know God is with them? Doesn’t it somehow seem that they able to summon divine help? In my experience, these people aren’t out there always accomplishing GIANT “wall building” tasks. This is not what makes you get a sense of their connection with God. They are simply living their lives with Him as their guiding force. Giving Him attribution for all aspects of their life.

It is my challenge and encouragement that each of us live a life with a lens that recognizes God’s activity not only in the “wall” things, but in everything. Being led by the spirit to have open hearts and open minds to God’s accomplishments through us. Just because we don’t recognize Him as the author, doesn’t mean we are writing the book. The pen is undoubtedly in His capable hand. Let us strive to recognize His delicate calligraphy in the tiny nuances of our lives. The conversation we have with the checkout person at HEB. The opportunity we have to randomly simply say hi to a neighbor we haven’t gotten to know. The times we feel the need to send a text to someone on our minds. When we pray for one another. Have uplifting conversations together.

May we look back and say, it was all done “with the help of our God.”