Against
Rushing Waters
Scripture
Text: Nehemiah
6: 1-14
When
the Storms of Life Got Involved:
We
all desire to have a life that is always filled with blessings and
have things going our way.We have often heard this saying, "It
never rains but it pours". Yes, blessings may 'pour' into our
lives but on the other hand, problems may come in an 'avalanche'
and literally bury us. There is only one certainty, that is :God
has not promised us a problem-free life. Although we do not choose
when and what
trials we are to face, we can
choose how we respond
to them.
On a
personal note, I remembered that I went through a terrible storm
in my life, about three years ago. Due to some unpleasant and extreme
office politics, my husband lost his well-paying job. As if that
was not enough, two months later, I came down with dengue fever.
To top it up, our tenant terminated his contract and left our other
place in a total wreck! We literally went through a few months of
'rushing waters'.
In Nehemiah
Chapt. 6, we see him being engulfed in the 'politics', among the
rulers and his enemies, in quick succession.(as if the total exhaustion
that resulted from building the wall was not enough!)
How
did Nehemiah respond
to these storms of life?
1) When
the waters came, he dug deep into the foundation, upon which he
stood.
Nehemiah
ran to God, for God's love is a strong foundation that cannot be
washed away. (Song of Sol. 8:7 - "...many rivers cannot wash
away love".)
Yes,
one of the things we relied on to sustain us during the crisis was
to dwell on the love of God, for we strongly believe that"we
are more than conquerors through Him who loved us". Do we know
who we can turn to when the rushing waters come down on us? To survive
the storms of life, be anchored to the Rock of Ages.
2) When
the waters came, knowledge of God's commands helped him dig deep.
Nehemiah
knew God's commands - when he was advised to seek shelter in the
temple of God, he knew that only priests were able to enter and
he refused to do so eventhough his life was in 'apparent danger'.
He knew that God stood for Holiness, more than self-preservation.
He knew his God.
Like
Nehemiah, we too clung on to the various promises and as "we
committed our ways to the Lord....,He shall bring it to pass"(Ps.37:5)
Hence, take time to meditate on His Word(Ps.119:11) and let it be
deeply rooted in us.
3) When
the waters came, he remembered the purpose for which he was made.
Nehemiah
knew what his purpose was, ie. to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem
and therefore he was not easily derailed. In Jer. 29:11, we are
reminded that God has a plan for each one of us.
How
do we respond to the
storms of life that will
come our way?Do we know the plans that God has for us?(Jer 29:11).
Are our eyes focused on what He wants us to do or do we allow ourselves
to be sidetracked?
Jesus
may not take us out of the storm sometimes, but He can teach us
to walk on it and
He will walk
with us.
Prayer Response:
Jesus,
I come to you just as I am, with my all hurts, troubles and needs.
Help me to think less
of the power of things
over me, and more
of the power of Christ
in me. Help me also to choose wisely how
I should go through these trials, knowing that You, God choose what
trials I go through. I thank you that You use these storms of life
to transform me to be more like You. Thank you Jesus that you always
give me enough strength for the next step.