Good Work

God gave Nehemiah a big task. Rebuild the ruined walls around Jerusalem. Nehemiah prayed and fasted.  He asked for and got favorable authorization from King Artaxerxes to fulfill this mission.

At first Nehemiah did not tell anyone what God put in his heart. Some things God calls people to do seem so outlandish that few would believe they are possible. Nehemiah got up one night once he arrived in Jerusalem to survey the damage. He rode through the city and I am sure prayed about the task before him. A daunting task. A task he could not do alone.

Nehemiah carried God's burden and desire to rebuild the walls. He surveyed the damage. Many of you carry around God given burdens. Maybe God has painted a picture on the canvas of your mind about what He wants to do. You carry that vision around secretly knowing few would believe it if you openly shared. You pray over it. You ponder about it. You dream along with God about what could be. You see the possibilities.

At some point Nehemiah had to cast the vision to the broken down and discouraged people left in Jerusalem. They were defeated and had no vision for better days. Many still live that way. They don't live. They just exist from day to day with no hope for the future and no vision greater than just trying to survive another day. People lose heart when there is no compelling vision to propel them to a higher purpose.

When God give assignments they are big and require God. Those assignments require an activated faith. At some point faith has to be put into action for the vision to come to pass. For Nehemiah, one of those first steps was to cast the vision. His simple words were, "Come let us rebuild the walls." Nehemiah went on to explain how God gave him favor with the king for the expedition.

God took those words of testimony and vision from Nehemiah and stirred the hearts of the people. Here is their response, "Let us rise up and build." Afterwards they strengthened their hands for the good work.

Make no mistake. That wall did not magically appear. By the sweat of their brow and muscle fatigue the wall would be rebuilt. It was work. But the task was good work. It was God's work.

If you love and serve Jesus I am betting He has put some good work for you to do. Maybe it is making intercession. Maybe it is calling to check on the homebound. Perhaps it includes working with unruly children or apathetic teens. Maybe you teach a tiny class or perhaps God assigned you to rebuild a small church. If the work came from God it is good work.

It is good work because it is work that will matter in eternity. There is all sorts of bad work. Things we devote our time, energy and money to that will not matter a hill of beans in eternity. It will all be burned up in fire at the Judgment Seat of Christ. Much of what we give so much of ourselves to has no eternal value.

God's work is good work. I recently sent a thank you to a couple who have gone the extra mile in serving at our church. They busy themselves for the Lord and delight to do so. I sent them a text thanking them for their service. They responded that they did it for the Lord. His good work does not go unnoticed. His good work does not go unrewarded even it appears that way in the here and now. It will be rewarded in eternity.

Volunteers in the nursery may be receive greater honor than the pastor from God. The maintenance personnel may receive greater reward than the greatest musicians and vocalists in churches. A faithful usher and a devoted teacher may make God smile more than the one in the spotlight on center stage.  If the work is from God it is good work. I did not say it would be glamorous work. I did not say it would be easy work. Nor did I say it would be prestigious work. It is work. It is God's good work!

Working for God over the years has meant many things. One day I helped a church member shovel dirt into potholes down his long dirt driveway. On many occasions it has meant helping someone move. There have been times when it simply meant listening to a lonely soul. God's good work has meant mowing, cleaning toilets, sawing trees, roofing, hauling debris to the dump, hauling hay, ripping up carpet, scraping up tile, painting, and moving chairs and tables more times than I can count. That is all part of God's good work just like studying, praying, writing, preaching and teaching.

I love what Nehemiah 4:6 states. The people had a mind to work. They got a clear grasp of Nehemiah's vision. They bought into it. They had a mind to work. O that God would stir people with that mindset for His causes again. It is good work He calls us to do.