Thursday 3 Sep 2020

September 3: Nehemiah 4:10-18
 
Key Verse: Nehemiah 4:15
When our enemies heard that we were aware of their plot and that God had frustrated it, we all returned to the wall, each to our work.
 
Devotion:
One of the biggest things I have learned over the years is that a team is so much better than trying to do stuff alone; no matter what you are doing in life! It was drummed into us when playing sports at school, and indeed is how we managed to win many of our games – by working as an integrated team we were able to overcome shortcomings in other players as they tried to highlight their own skills rather than working as a team themselves.
 
This is what God was teaching Nehemiah as they worked to complete the rebuilding of the walls, not just as a team of people but as a team of the people with God too! Remembering God is on your team and you need to work together is paramount in every walk in life! When others see we are working as a team, they may well back off because they know they are losing the battle, either that or they get so worked up they are not winning they make mistakes and fluster themselves.
 
I love working with God because it gives me a lot of confidence things are going to work out for the better. I love working as a team because sharing the tasks does make it a lot easier and quicker to reach the goal set before us.
 
But what we must not do is lose focus on the fact we are with God and He should be the captain – not you! Nehemiah had no illusion God was in control, but sometimes it is the sight of a team of people at work which will encourage other people. We do like to see someone else leading or succeeding before we come forward to do the same. Sometimes we must be the pioneers so other missionaries can follow and be encouraged to carry on the work!
 
Points to Ponder:
Do you feel like you are out on a limb?
 
Do you know God is by your side?