Nehemiah's Focus

1When word came to Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab and the rest of our enemies that I had rebuilt the wall and not a gap was left in it—though up to that time I had not set the doors in the gates— 2Sanballat and Geshem sent me this message: “Come, let us meet together in one of the villages^a on the plain of Ono.”

But they were scheming to harm me; 3so I sent messengers to them with this reply: “I am carrying on a great project and cannot go down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and go down to you?” 4Four times they sent me the same message, and each time I gave them the same answer.

5Then, the fifth time, Sanballat sent his aide to me with the same message, and in his hand was an unsealed letter 6in which was written:

“It is reported among the nations—and Geshem^b says it is true—that you and the Jews are plotting to revolt, and therefore you are building the wall. Moreover, according to these reports you are about to become their king 7and have even appointed prophets to make this proclamation about you in Jerusalem: ‘There is a king in Judah!’ Now this report will get back to the king; so come, let us meet together.”

8I sent him this reply: “Nothing like what you are saying is happening; you are just making it up out of your head.”

9They were all trying to frighten us, thinking, “Their hands will get too weak for the work, and it will not be completed.”

But I prayed, “Now strengthen my hands.”  (Nehemiah 6)

Thoughts: The enemies of God would like for the people of God to be distracted.  If we don't continue to keep the main thing as the main thing, then we lose focus and the greatest message the world needs to hear becomes lost in the noise of life.  If we are distracted then we can leave the ones wandering far from God alone in their mess with no hope.  If we are frightened maybe we can keep quiet-paralyzed with fear- and the work of the Lord will stop. The enemies of Nehemiah wanted him to stop building up the walls of Jerusalem.  They used distraction, fear, rumors, gossip to try to stop him.  Nehemiah would have none of it.  He refused to go down.  "Why should the work stop while I leave it and go down to you?"  In other words, why should I be distracted?  In our distracted, self-consumed culture- the people of God are called to be different.  We are called to listen to God's call upon our lives and to God's voice telling us life is more than being busy doing nothing and distracted (and thirty minutes later not even knowing what we were reading or saying).  The world needs people who live like the good news of Christ is worth focus, sacrifice, time, and our all.   He gave His focus and all to us. 

Prayer: Lord, keep me from losing my focus on you, your call, and your work that you give me to do.