“Those who carried burdens were loaded in such a way that each labored on the work with one hand and held his weapon with the other. And each of the builders had his sword strapped at his side while he built.”
– Nehemiah 4:17–18
What a picture. So they’re rebuilding the walls around Jerusalem, but they’ve been threatened by their enemies. And so they work on the walls with weapons in their hands. Like each of the builders had his sword strapped at his side. Those who carried burdens were loaded in such a way they each labored on the work with one hand, held his weapon with the other. Can you imagine the intensity of that scene here in Nehemiah 4:17–18? Working to build this wall, ever cognizant of the possibility that you could be attacked at that moment.
May God give us vigilance to seek and honor Him in everything that we do. Let’s fight the spiritual battle as we live out each day of our lives.
A Picture of the Christian Life
I see in this, a picture, in a sense of the Christian life. I think about it. We do all kinds of work. You and I will do all kinds of work today, tomorrow. Work that God has called us to do in this world. And yet we are not ever cognizant of the reality that there is a spiritual war raging around us and we cannot be immune to that.
There is an enemy. An adversary who at every moment in the work we do wants to pull us away from God. Wants to pull us away from the word of God and the ways of God. And so we must be vigilant. In a sense, doing our work, whatever it is. Whether you’re in school, you’re at work, whether you’re running an errand, like tending to work that needs to be done, but doing it with a vigilance in your heart that is seeking God. A heart that wants to honor God, that wants to glorify God in your work. That wants to glorify God as you do this or that. That wants to honor God with your thoughts, your desires, with your words, with your attitude, with everything you do, to be pleasing to God. to fight spiritual battle as you do daily life.
Nehemiah 4:17–18 Reminds Us How To Be Vigilant
So God, we pray for this. We pray that you’d give us vigilance in the battle that is raging around us as we do all kinds of details in our day. God, we pray for grace, wisdom to work hard, to work well, and to work continually in a way that brings you glory, in a way reflects your character, in a way that reflects your goodness, your love, your wisdom, who you are. Also God, we pray that you would give us victory in spiritual warfare amidst all the work we do on a daily basis. That our minds, our hearts, our words, our actions would be pleasing to you. God, we pray for this in Jesus name. Amen.
David Platt serves as a pastor in metro Washington, D.C. He is the founder of Radical.
David received his Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and is the author of Don’t Hold Back, Radical, Follow Me, Counter Culture, Something Needs to Change, Before You Vote, as well as the multiple volumes of the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary series.
Along with his wife and children, he lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area.
