Often, when God wants something done, He calls us to work side-by-side with each other and with Him.
Back in chapter one of The Story, God created the heavens and the earth. He placed Adam and Eve in the garden and told them to work the land and enjoy the fruit of their labors. Just think about it: before any sin or rebellion existed in the world, God gave his people jobs. In perfect paradise Adam and Eve were not going to simply hang out and do nothing; they had the joy and privilege of working.
In chapter 21 of The Story we see that God’s pattern of calling his people to fruitful labor was still in place. God called them to rebuild the temple and reestablish worship under the leadership of Ezra. Through their hard work God would provide a beautiful place for his people to gather and worship.
Similarly, God called Nehemiah to lead the people in a massive construction project to rebuild the wall around the city and place gates back on their hinges. This job would include consistent and harsh resistance, and take great courage and physical energy.
Maybe most important of all, God wanted the people to work at their relationship with Him. Like all relationships, this one would demand time and effort. Indeed, all through The Story God is seeking to bring His people back into a healthy, intimate relationship with Him.
Reflect back to your first job or a moment in life when you discovered that some things demand good old-fashioned hard work.
The above is taken from The Story: Getting to the Heart of God’s Story, page 137.
ReplyDeletePoint to ponder…
Often, when God wants something done, He calls us to work side-by-side with each other and with Him.
Back in chapter one of The Story, God created the heavens and the earth. He placed Adam and Eve in the garden and told them to work the land and enjoy the fruit of their labors. Just think about it: before any sin or rebellion existed in the world, God gave his people jobs. In perfect paradise Adam and Eve were not going to simply hang out and do nothing; they had the joy and privilege of working.
In chapter 21 of The Story we see that God’s pattern of calling his people to fruitful labor was still in place. God called them to rebuild the temple and reestablish worship under the leadership of Ezra. Through their hard work God would provide a beautiful place for his people to gather and worship.
Similarly, God called Nehemiah to lead the people in a massive construction project to rebuild the wall around the city and place gates back on their hinges. This job would include consistent and harsh resistance, and take great courage and physical energy.
Maybe most important of all, God wanted the people to work at their relationship with Him. Like all relationships, this one would demand time and effort. Indeed, all through The Story God is seeking to bring His people back into a healthy, intimate relationship with Him.
Reflect back to your first job or a moment in life when you discovered that some things demand good old-fashioned hard work.
The above is taken from The Story: Getting to the Heart of God’s Story, page 137.
ReplyDeleteQuestions to consider...
1. How did Ezra and Nehemiah’s respective roles complement each other? What does this tell us about spiritual gifts in the church?
2. What does Nehemiah teach us about prayer? Do you notice any patterns in his prayer life?
3. Why do you suppose Nehemiah did not reveal to anyone the plan that God had put in his heart (pg. 243)?
4. How might Malachi’s prophetic insight apply to the church in America today?
5. According to the prophet Malachi, what is the correlation between one’s relationship with God and one’s treatment of their spouse?