Strengthen My Hands

Growing up on a dairy farm taught me many life principles at a very young age; my dad instilled in each of his six children the importance of work ethics. 

Me and Dad on the farm    

Over the years, when I have wanted to slack, I remember the times in childhood when I did a halfway job and had to re-do my work. It is much easier to do the job right the first time around!

In reading throughout the Old Testament, many laborious situations presented themselves. The Lord chose David's son, Solomon, to build a temple for the Lord. David advises his son regarding the building of the temple: "Be strong and do the work." (I Chronicles 28:10) Later, David repeats himself: "Be strong and courageous, and do the work." (vs. 20)

In both the Old and New Testaments, God uses kings or persons in powerful positions to accomplish great things for Him, which require hard work. But He also uses anyone willing to be used by Him.

God's servant, Nehemiah, was a common man who was secure and prosperous in his occupation as cupbearer to the Persian king Artaxerxes. 

Nehemiah was also a man of prayer.

 

Nehemiah is deeply moved when he learns that Jerusalem's wall has broken and the gates burned--and that his people who have survived the exile are in great trouble. Nehemiah laments: "When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven." (Nehemiah 1:4)

Nehemiah's prayers lead to God's favor with the king. The kind sends Nehemiah to rebuild the wall. Upon arriving in Jerusalem, the task immediately appears impossible; Nehemiah faces great opposition. However, Nehemiah continues to pray to God; he does not relent in the mission he has set his hands to accomplish. At one point, he admits regarding his opposition, "They were all trying to frighten us, thinking, "Their hands will get too weak for the work, and it will not be completed." (Nehemiah 6:9)

Nehemiah does not pray for God to change his circumstances in the midst of significant opposition.  He does not ask for a more manageable task or someone else to do the work for him. Nehemiah's prayer in the heat of resistance was, "But I prayed "Now strengthen my hands." (vs. 9b)

Nehemiah stays the course and completes the impossible task of rebuilding the wall in fifty-two days. 

The power to accomplish tasks set before us lies within us by the gift and the power of the Spirit. The answer to our prayers is typically not a change of circumstance but a change of attitude and pure obedience. We can accomplish the work by earnestly praying, "God, strengthen my hands." 

I Thessalonians 4:11 encourages us:  "Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody." 

As men and women of prayer—let's not be afraid of the hard work—God will strengthen our hands to accomplish what may sometimes feel like little works, all for His great glory and pleasure.

Stay the Course…

Sheila

The Easy Way or The Right Way

With all the kings mentioned in the Old Testament, it is impossible to remember who is who. However, each time a man becomes king, there is a short description stating his name, how old he was when he became king, how long he reigned, his mother’s name, and one line that describes the character of the new king. 

The one line is either, “He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord,” or “He did evil in the eyes of the Lord.” 

This one line gives us a heads up on what we are about to read. In the case of one evil king, Jehoram, we are told: “He passed away, to no one’s regret.” (II Chronicles 21:20b) Not the most positive obituary!

Some kings start out good but then, after many year’s of God’s blessing and favor, they make one bad decision without first seeking God. Sometimes a king will allow one area of sin to remain in his kingdom while serving God in every other area. Asa was one such king who traveled a long way with God before getting off track. We learn that his sin was not so much deliberate disobedience as it was choosing the easy way rather than the right way.

During the early years of battle, King Asa sought after God with his whole heart.  Then, because Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God, God blessed him with many years of rest, “No one was at war with him during those years, for the Lord gave him rest.” (II Chronicles 14:6b)

I can’t help but wonder if King Asa grew so accustomed to a life without battles that he forgot his great need for God or simply forgot about God. 

I know I have spent more time on my knees in the valley than I might during a time of personal peace. 

Many years pass before King Asa’s next big threat confronts him in the thirty-sixth year of his reign. This time, King Asa resorted to self-reliance instead of seeking God. 

Baasha, king of Israel, the rival northern kingdom was threatening the peace of Judah. King Asa, now a wealthy king, convinced King Ben-Hadad to break his alliance with King Baasha by making a treaty with himself instead and bribed him with silver and gold out of the treasuries of the Lord’s temple, thus disabling King Baasha to cause harm to Judah.

Because King Asa took the easy way, he was confronted by a man of God, Hanani, who told him, “You have done a foolish thing, and from now on you will be at war.” (II Chronicles 16:9b)

When confronted with his sin, King Asa becomes angry. Instead of repenting he throws Hanani in prison. Pride was ultimately King Asa’s downfall. 

Three years later, in the thirty-ninth year of King Asa’s reign, he was afflicted with a disease in his feet. Still, King Asa rebelled, “Though his disease was severe, even in his illness he did not seek help from the Lord, but only from the physicians. Then in the forty-first year of his reign Asa died and rested with his fathers.” (II Chronicles 16:12-13)

How humbling to consider the many times we face trials and conflicts in our daily lives only to seek man-made solutions instead of seeking our Father. 

In the New Testament, Jesus teaches about choosing the right way instead of the easy way when speaking about heaven, “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” (Matthew 7:13-14)

Regardless of whether we are in our first year of living for God or our thirty-ninth year, I pray we will choose the right way every day — to our final breath. Somewhere on the other side of a small gate down a narrow road our Reward will meet us with arms open wide.

Stay the Course…

Sheila 

Do What You Can (While You Can)

We all have opportunities presented to us that require action within a window of time—if we don’t respond within that certain timeframe, the window closes. Often the window of opportunity only presents itself once.

There is a powerful story in the Gospel of Mark which depicts in beautiful detail such an instance. 

The story takes place two days before Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. At this time, “the chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for some way to arrest Jesus and kill him.” (Mark 14:1b)

“While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of a man known as Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head.” (vs. 3)

It is apparent that this woman, identified as Mary in the Gospel of John, is driven by a sense of urgency; she did not ask permission for what she was about to do. 

“Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, “Why this waste of perfume? It could have been sold for more than a year’s wages and the money given to the poor.” And they rebuked her harshly.” (vs.4)

However, Jesus was able to see something and understand something that no one else could see or understand. “Leave her alone,” said Jesus. “Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me. She did what she could.” (vs. 6-8)

“She did what she could” in the Message translates as, “She did what she could when she could.” 

How many times do we find ourselves in situations where the Holy Spirit nudges us to action? Oftentimes, the conviction is one that might make little sense to those around us.

As we take in the daunting needs of the world, both in America as well as Third World countries, it can be easy to sit on our hands and do nothing due to the enormity of the needs.

Instead of feeling that we must solve the world’s problems, God allows us to use what’s in our hands to meet the needs of those within our reach. The Holy Spirit’s prompting leads us to serve the needs of our own communities as our form of worship, bringing glory to God.

Mary did not know that what she was about to do would be recorded in the gospel and preached throughout the world in memory of her; she only knew that she needed to act swiftly. The need to be obedient outweighed the fear of harsh rebuke from man. She did what she could when she could.

Opportunities to act may feel as small as a whisper or as powerful as lightening. Either way, I pray we will remember the faith of those who have gone before us—I pray we will do what we can while we can.

Stay the Course…

Sheila