God's call requires our undivided attention. During the exile, Nehemiah received permission to return to Jerusalem from the Persian King Artaxerxes (Neh. 2). Upon his return he led the people in rebuilding the city's walls which lay in ruins. Despite constant interruptions due to social concerns (Neh. 5), political bullying (Neh. 4), and even attempted sabotage (Neh. 6), Nehemiah refused to turn from God's call. In response he gave a curt reply to reveal his priorities, that he was doing a great work and could not come down (Neh 6:3). Whether caused by the devil or the common tasks of the world, distractions too often force us to leave God's work. The pastor can come down from sermon preparation and vision casting to attend to the tyranny of the urgent. The Christ follower can come down from sharing the gospel to avoid upsetting family and friends. The parent can come down from raising Godly children to seek after a promotion at work. We need to recognize, as Nehemiah did, that the work God has called us to is our number one priority, and trust God to handle the distractions of the world.
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January 2019
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