A friend asked for prayer. As he shared his request, the other friend began to pray. When he concluded the prayer concluded, he humbly stated, “Please stay on the wall.”
He understood the effectiveness of the Christian who tirelessly commits himself to sharing the Gospel of Christ. In that same token, he knew all too well the intense desire of the enemy to deter the Christian from staying on the wall through various means (e.g. discouragement, weariness, etc.). He knew that for people to be reached, including himself, Christians must stay on the wall, instead of climbing down and walking away from a God-called mission.
Nehemiah was the man, and the people of Jerusalem needed the wall and city rebuilt. God called Nehemiah to do just that.
Years prior, an urgent need touched the heart of Nehemiah. God used the hardship to move Nehemiah not only to pray, but to action as well.
Nehemiah 1:1-4 NLT
“The words of Nehemiah the son of Hacaliah. Now it happened in the month Chislev, in the twentieth year, while I was in Susa the capitol, 2 that Hanani, one of my brothers, and some men from Judah came; and I asked them concerning the Jews who had escaped and had survived the captivity, and about Jerusalem. 3 They said to me, ‘The remnant there in the province who survived the captivity are in great distress and reproach, and the wall of Jerusalem is broken down and its gates are burned with fire.’ 4 When I heard these words, I sat down and wept and mourned for days; and I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven”
Not only were the people discouraged, but they were in danger. Why? Because the walls that once surrounded and protected them were now broken down. The walls needed to be rebuilt, and God called Nehemiah to the task of rebuilding.
As Nehemiah kept on with the mission God had called him to, enemies often tried to discourage him. Their words and fearful tactics sought to stop the work.
Nehemiah 6:1-3 NLT
“Now when it was reported to Sanballat, Tobiah, to Geshem the Arab and to the rest of our enemies that I had rebuilt the wall, and that no breach remained in it, although at that time I had not set up the doors in the gates, 2 then Sanballat and Geshem sent a message to me, saying, ‘Come, let us meet together at Chephirim in the plain of Ono.’ But they were planning to harm me. 3 So I sent messengers to them, saying, ‘I am doing a great work and I cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and come down to you?’”
Nehemiah’s response to the ongoing threats of the enemy were important. Nehemiah focused on the mission: “I am doing a great work.” Nehemiah knew what he had been called to do and why. Next, he recognized who it was that had called him to the work, and this caused him to spotlight the labor as one of greatness!
Nehemiah recognized the importance of the wall, and its benefit to others: “I cannot come down.” Within Nehemiah’s few and reflected the heart of a man who knew that his mission was not about himself but about the needs of others. Nehemiah comprehended the importance and the benefit of the wall being rebuilt. Furthermore, Nehemiah was called to act courageously with great perseverance to see the wall to completion.
Nehemiah remembered his calling, didn’t listen to the enemies, remained steadfast refusing to leave his post even in the midst of opposition. “Why should the work stop while I leave it and come down to you?”
Have you ever witnessed individual leadership climbing down from the walls instead of manning their post, due to the enemies’ taunts?
Every day we are given opportunity to impact others. We can either stay on the wall doing the work God has called us to, or we can allow discouragement and criticism from the enemy to lure us down from the wall.
Refuse to lose our focus. Remember we have been called by God. Focus on Jesus instead of on the problems. Recognize the importance of what God has called us to do. Now remain steadfast refusing to come down from the wall leaving our important work!
This e-devotion was taken from… https://entrustedhopeministries.org/2020/12/30/please-stay-on-the-wall-someone-needs-you/
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