Focus On Purpose

So the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty-two days. And when all our enemies heard of it, all the nations around us were afraid and fell greatly in their own esteem, for they perceived that this work had been accomplished with the help of our God.
Nehemiah 6:15-16 (ESV)
 
A problem that plagued a nation for quite some time was solved in fifty-two days by one who loved and walked with God and used his power and position for the good of the people. People had gotten used to the idea of being defeated until Nehemiah showed up.
 
We need more Nehemiahs today. We need people who love God, walk with Him, and want to use their resources to honor Him by helping others. Nehemiah did not use his privileged position for himself, but for the good of others. He was a vessel that God could and would use. His choices were easy, even though the results of those choices were painful. He endured the pain because he focused on the purpose of the pain.
 
Focusing on purpose always negates the pain and opens the door to pleasure.
 





https://www.podbean.com/relate365

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

We were made to be dependent upon God

“But today you have rejected your God, who saves you from all your calamities and your distresses, and you have said to him, 'Set a king over us.' Now therefore present yourselves before the Lord by your tribes and by your thousands." 1 Samuel 10:19 (ESV)   There are many creative ways we can reject God. We can do so by placing our trust and hope in humans for any reason. We can reject God by placing our trust in systems, money, and health, and seeking comfort and fame. That which controls us is our "god," and the giving of our lives to things God created will yield disappointment, sorrow, and hopelessness.   We can tell whether or not we believe the truth by the fruit in our lives. Those who the Spirit of God controls live lives of quiet resolve. They cannot be shaken. They cannot be destroyed. Their joy comes from their obedience, not their comfort.   We were made to be dependent upon God, yet we so often fight for independence and think that the lack of contro...
Read more

What will you do with the facts?

Image
Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught. Luke 1:1-4 (ESV) Luke, the physician, does not claim to be an eyewitness account of what happened with Jesus, but he is one who personally evaluated the claims of those who had been with Jesus. As a doctor, he felt compelled to get the facts about Jesus’ miraculous birth recorded for Theophilus so he could have all his doubts erased. There is no reason to doubt Luke’s scholarship, methods, and conclusions. There is no reason to doubt unless your belief system has become the basis of your understanding, and you have slipped into thinking that whatever you belie...
Read more

Doing right, right.

And there was war again. And David went out and fought with the Philistines and struck them with a great blow, so that they fled before him. Then a harmful spirit from the Lord came upon Saul, as he sat in his house with his spear in his hand. And David was playing the lyre. And Saul sought to pin David to the wall with the spear, but he eluded Saul, so that he struck the spear into the wall. And David fled and escaped that night. 1 Samuel 19:8-10 (ESV) Doing everything right does not ensure peace and tranquility on this earth; instead, it ensures your significance in the universe. David was a man after God's own heart, a faithful soldier, a good friend, and generally, one who could be trusted. These qualities did not ensure him peace on earth and, in fact, often brought him strife. Those who do things right will face resistance. Resistance is not a sign that we should change course, but that we are on course. Those who take the path of least resistance will live meaningless lives....
Read more