Wednesday - Hard Work

Nehemiah 5:14-16 – "Moreover from the time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year even unto the two and thirtieth year of Artaxerxes the king, that is, twelve years, I and my brethren have not eaten the bread of the governor. But the former governors that had been before me were chargeable unto the people, and had taken of them bread and wine, beside forty shekels of silver; yea, even their servants bare rule over the people: but so did not I, because of the fear of God. "Yea, also I continued in the work of this wall, neither bought we any land: and all my servants were gathered thither unto the work."

Don't miss the contrast. In verse 15 the former governors leaned on the people. In verse 16 Nehemiah is with the people, out on the wall. The other governors put the people to work for them; Nehemiah went to work alongside them.

And again — he didn't have to. As governor he had every right to step back and say, "I prayed. I planned. I organized. Let somebody else swing the hammer now." But that's not the kind of man he was. The higher Nehemiah rose, the harder Nehemiah worked. When the men on that wall looked up and saw the governor himself with dust on his hands and sweat on his brow, it did something to them. It's hard to complain about the work when the man in charge is working harder than you are. Hard work is contagious.

We live in a generation that keeps saying, "We need revival. We need somebody to do something." Maybe the way that gets accomplished starts with you. You do what needs to be done. You work hard — and others will follow.

Reflect:

·       Where have you been waiting for "somebody" to step up — when God may be wanting you to pick up the hammer?