Hear the Bible Study Podcast!
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 14:20 — 6.6MB)
Key Verse:
Nehemiah 6:3 (NKJV)
So I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down. Why should the work cease while I leave it and go down to you?”
Nehemiah was rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem and his enemies did not want him to succeed. They tried many different approaches to lure him away from his work. None of them succeeded. He would not come down.
I. Nehemiah Had Attached Himself To A Divine Cause.
Colossians 3:23 (NKJV)
And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men,
Nehemiah was working for God and he knew that his work was for divine purposes. We to should work for God with a kingdom attitude! We grow weary in our labor if we think only of the here and know. We must see the eternal reward that God has set before us. God has a plan that is unfolding and we shall see it in His time! When we work for a divine cause, we give up our own ambitions and surrender to God. We can than trust in Him and leave all the consequences up to Him. When Christians forget their divine cause in Christ, we are lured down to the level of our enemies.
II. Nehemiah Knew The Deceptive Plans of His Enemies.
1 Peter 5:8 (NKJV)
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.
Satan is our enemy and he uses people, the World and even our own-selves against us. We must not make the mistake that Satan is not after us. He is always planing and scheming. Nehemiah knew his enemies and was unwilling to give into them. As Christians we must be unwilling to compromise on the principles of our faith.
III. Nehemiah Knew The Divine Reward For His Faith.
Hebrews 6:10 (NKJV)
For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name,
God never forgets a good deed done for His Kingdom. God may not always reward us right away, but we can be sure our reward is coming and that it is safely kept for us in Heaven.
Matthew 6:20 (NKJV)
but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.
Our hard work should be done with the mindset that it is for GOD and for the people He loves. Expect opposition from Satan, people and the World when doing Godly work. Expect God to reward you in His time not yours.