Hard-hat Faith

Hard-Hat Faith

The God of heaven will help us succeed. We, his servants, will start rebuilding this wall. Nehemiah 2:20

If he were alive, I wonder what Nehemiah would think of some of the recent football stadium building projects that have been completed throughout the United States. Stadiums like Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Reliant Stadium in Houston, or Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas—the largest domed stadium in the world. He probably would be impressed, especially when he learned how quickly they went up. It was a different story for him. He didn’t have blueprints or heavy equipment to make things easier. But that was God’s plan.

Have you ever wondered how Nehemiah did it? He wasn’t an architect or a stone mason. He hadn’t grown up in construction. And to be honest, when he was given the assignment, Nehemiah didn’t know how this crucial building project would turn out. He had left his role as the official cupbearer/food taster to King Artaxerxes of Persia and donned a hard hat as he undertook to rebuild the wall around Jerusalem. The city was in constant danger from troublemakers, and it needed to be done.

Nehemiah stepped out to rebuild Jerusalem’s walls without any idea how it would go or how he would accomplish such a daunting task. He could not see the end of the project, but he knew that God could. And since he was doing this for God, God would lead him every step of the way. Nehemiah did have control over some things, and he carefully brought those aspects to the project. He surveyed the ruins and resources, laying out careful plans and gathering and equipping committed people to build the wall, and then assigning each group a section of the wall to complete.

Everyone took ownership over their sections, and even though they were doing something they had never done before, they knew this was a labor of love for the God they served and that He would lead and bless their efforts.

Have you ever been in a position like Nehemiah? You feel certain that God has called you to take charge of something, but you may have a lot of questions in the back of your mind. Let it be a faith-stretching experience for you.

Uncommon Key > Whenever you know God is calling you to do something, be confident that He will guide the process, even if a successful outcome is hard to imagine. He will get you to where He wants you to go.