Nehemiah 6:1-4 – Focus
Not only did Nehemiah have great discernment, he had a great commitment and focus on the task he been called upon to undertake. “I am doing a great work and I cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and come down to you?” Even if the invitation from Sanballat had been benign, which it wasn’t, it would still have been a distraction. Nehemiah understood that for the time that he would be away from Jerusalem the work would effectively cease.
Distraction is a great weapon in the hands of the devil to interrupt the work of God. Commenting on this passage James Philip says, “he saw, as many today in the Church do not seem to, that certain things, however plausible or well-meaning, however laudable in themselves, simply get in the way of the work being done, and he refused to have anything to do with them”.
The task that Nehemiah was doing may have seemed somewhat mundane; a job that many other people would have been able to do, and yet for him, it was a great work because it was the work that God had called him to do. This is how it is for Christians – you are where you are because that is where God has placed you, and you have a great work to do. Every Christian is given the task of living for the Lord Jesus Christ and demonstrating that no matter what the trials or the inducements that may cause him to waver or to change direction, he knows that he is doing a great job and will not be diverted from it.
The story is told of a missionary in China, a very talented linguist, who was offered a job by a company in China at a vastly expanded salary. He rejected the offer with the words, ‘It’s not your salary that is too little. It’s the job that’s too small!’
Questions
- What did Nehemiah think about distraction?
- What has God called us to do?
Prayer Points
- Pray for the preaching and hearing of God’s Word tomorrow.
- Use prayer points from your congregation.
- Pray for family matters.