Success!

The God of heaven is the one who will give us success, and we his servants are going to start building. Nehemiah 2:20

We are God’s fellow workers. 1 Corinthians 3:9 (NKJV)



REFLECTION:





The passage from Nehemiah above is a key example of the trouble we can get ourselves into when we read a snippet from the Bible outside of its context and try immediately to apply its words to our everyday lives. It would be like pulling a single sentence out of a complex novel and thinking we can understand what that sentence means in the overall story.

A little context is helpful.

Nehemiah is written about what's called the "post-exilic" period of rebuilding. The Jews had once again been slaves...this time to the Babylonian kingdom...and many had been carted off to live in exile in Babylon. The Persian Empire then conquered the Babylonians and, in essence freed the Jews to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple Babylon had destroyed years earlier.

In that environment, the book of Nehemiah tells us about the rebuilding of the temple wall, and it exudes a spirit of confidence. The stories "provide many examples of hard work coupled with prayer and an unshakable faith in God as a formula for successful problem solving that is as relevant today as it was then." (Mark Throntveit, Professor of Hebrew & Old Testament, Luther Seminary, St. Paul, MN)

So, it is not quite as simple as "God will give us success!" (which is where a simple reading of the first verse above would lead).

However, if the endeavor we undertake is in line with God's priorities, and it is done in humility, prayer, and hard work...then the truth of this ancient story begins to come alive in our story as well.

So, here's my question as I start today...and it is a question for myself as much as it is for any of you reading this...

What are my plans today? How do I intend to spend my time? As we begin this day together, may we all take a few moments to take a deep breath and pray...that God direct our steps today so that our efforts are in line with God's priorities for our lives. May we "succeed" in living out God's love for all today...in small, everyday ways.

Omnipotent God, through your mighty works you created us, your workers. In all that we busily do to prepare for your coming this Advent season, remind us that our work is for your good and perfect will. Amen.