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16 When all our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and lost their self-confidence, because they realized that this work had been done with the help of our God. - Nehemiah 6:16-17
The productivity experts say we should only touch it once, maybe two times at the most. Yet, there it sits, piling up, haunting us, draining us of life and mental energy until we just cannot take it anymore. I’m terrible with it, and sometimes my procrastination has cost me. What could be so bad? Email. Mail. Any kind of paperwork really. The more I put it off, the more it piles up, the more overwhelming it can be.
Nehemiah returns to Jerusalem because something had to be done. The city’s walls had been destroyed. Without the protection these walls provided the people lived in a state of fear, for they were vulnerable to attacks from their enemies on all sides. The people had started working on the walls before, but work had been halted, and nearly 150 years the people lived with the rubble. They were overwhelmed with the task at hand.
But do you know how long it took for Nehemiah to complete the task? Fifty two days! How was it possible? Nehemiah organized the people, assigning each person to work on the section along their homes. He scaled the size of the operation down, met the needs of the people, and warded off the threats from their enemies. Individually, the task was too great. But together they secured the city.
Sometimes the crossroads we face can be overwhelming. It is easy in these moments to feel as if we are all alone. But Nehemiah reminds us that we don’t have to face the challenges on our own. Sometimes all we need is someone to come alongside us, to help us pick up the pieces one at a time. If we don’t want to live our lives among the rubble any longer, we must start picking up the pieces, one stone at a time. We may not be able to control what will happen tomorrow but we can choose how we will respond today, and what we can do to prepare for what lies ahead.
No matter the crossroads you may be facing, we invite you to join us Sunday for worship, as we encourage one another and continue our series, At the Crossroads.
In Christ’s Service,
Pastor Gordon
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