top of page
Search

But now, O God, strengthen my hands |Strength #2|

Updated: May 31, 2021


Thousands of years ago, there stood a person named Nehemiah who God sent to undertook creating a wall in the hopes of rebuilding Judah. Back at this time, Nehemiah started only with prayer🤲 and submission:

let your ear be attentive and your eyes open, to hear the prayer of your servant that I now pray before you day and night for the people of Israel your servants, confessing the sins of the people of Israel, which we have sinned against you. Even I and my father's house have sinned. Nehemiah 1:6 🤲

As Nehemiah humbled himself, he needed the Lord's presence and guidance on what he needed to do next. Eventually Nehemiah knew he had to start too build🧱 in his journey:

Then I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in, how Jerusalem lies in ruins with its gates burned. Come, let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer suffer derision.” And I told them of the hand of my God that had been upon me for good, and also of the words that the king had spoken to me. And they said, “Let us rise up and build.” So they strengthened their hands for the good work. Nehemiah 2:17-18 🧱

When Nehemiah started to build, it wasn't easy. Heck. It was darn hard. There was opposition from all those around him:

But when Sanballat and Tobiah and the Arabs and the Ammonites and the Ashdodites heard that the repairing of the walls of Jerusalem was going forward and that the breaches were beginning to be closed, they were very angry. And they all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and to cause confusion in it. Nehemiah 4:7-8 😡

Nehemiah did not just had one opposition but from all sides- Sanballat, Tobiah, Arabs, Ammonites, Ashdodites. They all plotted together to fight against Nehemiah... If we were in this position what would we do? Surprisingly, Nehemiah's faith did not waver. He didn't run away or stop working, but he drew strength✊ from God at a time he needed the most:

For they all wanted to frighten us, thinking, “Their hands will drop from the work, and it will not be done.” But now, O God, strengthen my hands. Nehemiah 6:9 ✊

During moments off tough times in my life. Especially in times off doing God's Will, I find even more opposition. Maybe that's why Jesus always said that the world has hated Him first and it will hate us too. Hmm. Anyways. I digress. Yet reading this verse has comforted me so. It reminds me off how everyone goes through fear. Either it's fear off the unknown. Fear of failure, fear of judgment, fear of death, fear of our own negative thoughts. Nehemiah understood the cost. He knew the consequences, the oppositions, the sufferings he may endure... Yet in his most desperate time off fear, he didn't waver but instead called upon the Lord for strength! But now. Not later. But NOW. In this moment. O God. Please Lord have mercy. And give me the strength once more. To continue the work. The power to enable these droopy hands once more.

 

Reflection

Dear Lord, thank You for Nehemiah's tale. For teaching us the importance too seek Your purpose for us through prayer🤲, the importance in starting to build🧱 and to seek Your strength✊ in the midst off fear. As "He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength." Isaiah 40:29. To end, Paul's writing expounds on this idea:

For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been blessed by it. Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed. Hebrews 12:11-13 🏋️

Lord, in this moment now. Enable us to lift up our weak drooping hands and weak knees. Strengthen us once more.✊. For Thine Be The Glory.👑🤗. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

Updated on: January 31, 2021 | April 6, 2021 | April 8, 2021


Credits:

Soli Deo Gloria! 🎨pesanpesan.co

Comments

bottom of page