Sidetracked

Have you started doing something for the Lord or in His service and gotten sidetracked?

Perhaps it’s attending church regularly, tithing, helping others, or being kind and helpful at home. Have you kept at it? Starting out to do right is great, but keeping at it is much better and much more rewarding. We all have things we say we are going to work at doing better and being more focused on, but often times we fall short when the task takes a committ of more than a few hours or days. Nehemiah gives us a great example of staying focused.

Nehemiah 6:1-9

Now it came to pass when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and Geshem the Arabian, and the rest of our enemies, heard that I had builded the wall, and that there was no breach left therein; (though at that time I had not set up the doors upon the gates;)  That Sanballat and Geshem sent unto me, saying, Come, let us meet together in some one of the villages in the plain of Ono. But they thought to do me mischief.  And I sent messengers unto them, saying, I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you?  Yet they sent unto me four times after this sort; and I answered them after the same manner.  Then sent Sanballat his servant unto me in like manner the fifth time with an open letter in his hand; Wherein was written, It is reported among the heathen, and Gashmu saith it, that thou and the Jews think to rebel: for which cause thou buildest the wall, that thou mayest be their king, according to these words.   And thou hast also appointed prophets to preach of thee at Jerusalem, saying, There is a king in Judah: and now shall it be reported to the king according to these words. Come now therefore, and let us take counsel together.  Then I sent unto him, saying, There are no such things done as thou sayest, but thou feignest them out of thine own heart.    For they all made us afraid, saying, Their hands shall be weakened from the work, that it be not done. Now therefore, O God, strengthen my hands.

The walls were built and the gates were all that was left, so his enemies tried harder to cease what was being done. Nehemiah looked to the Lord for answers on what He should do and if he should meet these people and defend the work being done. The Lord showed him of their crookedness and so he refused to cease the work for any reason. And when they had caused fears and doubts in the hearts of the people he looked to the Lord for strength.

Nehemiah would not allow others to distract him from finishing the work he had started. Do you take Nehemiah’s approach? What do you allow to distract you from following through on a set task or service?  There are so many things today that can distract us from doing the things we should do. We have to learn to take Nehemiah’s approach and refuse to be distracted no matter the reason and trust the Lord to strengthen us when we need it most.

My foot hath held his steps, his way have I kept, and not declined.  Job 23:11