Got It Done

So on October 2 the wall was finished—just fifty-two days after we had begun. 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.
Nehemiah 6:15-16
 
Finishing the job gives you such a great feeling! Just 52 days after Nehemiah and the people of Jerusalem started the good work of rebuilding the wall, they were finished. What a job! Then, to top it all off, it deflated their enemies and brought glory to God. That’s what finished work does – it gives testimony to the one behind it, of their ability and their strength. In this case, and in ours, the One behind the good work is God and we get to enjoy His finished work!

Nehemiah and the people got to enjoy this tremendous accomplishment because they stayed focused. With every distraction and attack that came their way, they stayed focused. They knew what they wanted to do and they knew what they needed to do to get it done – they didn’t let anyone deter them from that. If we are going to be about the good work of the Lord, we have to stay focused on Him. 

They enjoyed a job well done because they were also able to say no when they needed to. When they were close to completing the work Nehemiah was invited by some other leaders to leave town and meet with them. It sounded like it was a concession speech, but it wasn’t. Even though it sounded good, Nehemiah was able to see through it and still say no. To finish the good work God has for us and the work He wants to do in us we will have to learn to say no. We will even have to say no to the things that look and sound good, because in the end, they will only hinder us from the real work.  

One of the most important things the people did, which led to this moment for them, is they constantly leaned on God for their strength to keep going. As they neared that finish line the attacks kept coming, only know they were a little harder to discern. At one point Nehemiah simple said, God, strengthen our hands. Often, that is what it will take for us to get to the finish line. A simply prayer and a simple step of faith and trust in the strength of God at work in us and through us. God will always get it done, even when we can’t. Trust Him.
 
Pastor Matt