So the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty-two days.
Nehemiah 6:15 ESV
Last week I wrote about the danger of doing things “in Jesus’ name” that the Lord never gave instruction for. Many good Christians commit hours and resources, trying to accomplish good things that God never asked them to do. This is foolish
However, the above scripture is a great example of how the Holy Spirit empowers those who are willing to listen to His voice and be obedient to His instruction. Nehemiah was called by God to rebuild the wall around Jerusalem. This was a daunting task. Many had tried and were not successful. Through Nehemiah’s leadership, the Israelites worked with limited resources and manpower and accomplished the impossible. Jerusalem’s wall was completed in 52 days. That’s incredible. No modern machinery, just hard workers and hand tools.
If you feel like you’re burning the candle at both ends and not making any progress, I’d encourage you to stop and ask this question, “Who’s idea was this?” Often we get burned-out trying to do things for God that God never asked us to do. When God gives a directive, He brings resources.
Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain.
Psalm 127:1 ESV
Let us not forget that God is the builder. We are simply the tools.