Jul 19

Written by:
7/19/2009 9:37 PM 

I re-read the book of Nehemiah and the following is some of the insight I took away from it.  It may be helpful to you to read Nehemiah to refresh your memory to give a context to the following words of mine:

Either we as believers are going to be discouraged, or we (in the power of God) are going to discourage our enemy.

Either we are going to be intimidated by the enemy, or we (in the power of God) are going to intimidate him.

The days where we hoped the enemy would leave us alone as long as we don’t bother him are gone. He has been cleaning the clock of the church for too long, as we have hidden behind our passive uninvolvement in the kingdom of God.

We are either going to sit in the ruins of what has been and what could be, sighing wistfully, or we are going to gird our proverbial loins and get busy with the work of rebuilding. Even through the laughter of those who oppose us. Even through the mocking. Even through the rubbish. We are either going to strengthen our hands and roll up our sleeves- determined not to stop until the rebuilding, restoring project is over- or we will quietly lament on how discouraged we are, hoping for a pitiful reprieve from the onslaught of the enemy. Here’s a clue. Our enemy has no mercy. He does not feel sorry for us when we are worn down and discouraged. That is his job description: bring discouragement and wear down the saints. Hello! When either or both of those two things happen, his job is well done! It is celebration time for him!

He delights for us to get out a ruler and compare ourselves with the tremendous task at hand. Of course, we look like grasshoppers to ourselves! We are dust! We are sheep! We are like grass that is here one day and gone the next!

Except for two little words. Two biblical words. Two circumstance-changing words. Two words that can interrupt the natural course of events, and radically change history.  “But, God...” Those two words equal a huge shift on the Richter scale spiritually.
When we are overwhelmed, we sometimes get one of those words wrong. When faced with an impossible task, we say, “but, I…”, when we should be saying, “But, God…”. Instead of saying, “I know what God wants me to do, but I…”. “But, I…?”. Since when were we supposed to be doing anything in our own strength, with our own wisdom, with our own power? News Flash! In our partnership with God we don’t bring the strength, the wisdom or the power. We bring ourselves. Our willing, available, submitted selves. Then, there is some dynamite in our container, and the equation makes a monumental shift. 

Us + God = somebody besides the church is going to get a good butt kicking. Somebody besides the church is going to be worn down and discouraged. Hallelujah! Now, that is a Kingdom shift!

“But, God… is our source of strength”. “O God, strengthen our hands!”
“But, God…is our source of wisdom”. “O, God, download your wisdom to us!”
“But, God…is our source of power”. “O, God, make us conduits of your power!”

Copyright ©2010 glenda clark