Nehemiah
August 10
Nehemiah 2:4-15
During the night… when all was quiet
When Nehemiah told the king why he was so sad, King Artaxerxes said, “You should go to the land of Judah and rebuild the walls of the city where your people live.”
The king then gave Nehemiah a letter for the keeper of the king’s forest to supply him with wood for the city gates. He even sent along army officers to protect the group of Jews traveling back with Nehemiah.
When Nehemiah arrived in Jerusalem, he did not tell anyone why he had come. After three days, he and a few close friends sneaked out at night to inspect the broken wall. They stumbled around in the dark, going from one broken gate to another, looking what needed to be done to rebuild the wall. Then they went back home.
How should I go about tackling a big task?
You are not likely to be asked to build a city wall, but you may have a school project or task that seems like a wall. For Nehemiah, building a wall with heavy stones all around the city was going to be a big task—too big to just rush into without careful planning.
Here are thoughts that will help you get started with your task:
Pray for God’s help before you get started.
Ask God to give you good ideas and to guide you as you work.
Set goals. If the project has to be completed by a certain day, divide the work into tasks for each day. Remember, it usually takes a bit longer than you think.
Plan the task. What materials will you need? How much will it cost? Will you need help? What could go wrong?
Do your best. God is honored by a job well done.
Whether you need to complete a huge task or make an important decision, don’t rush into it. First talk to the Lord about it, and He will make your plans succeed (Proverbs 3:5-6).
Verse for today
Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? Luke 14:28