I recently built a chicken house. Can I tell you that it wasn’t always easy. Because of the extreme heat I was getting up very early to work. Then as the day progressed it would get nearly unbearable. I had to make very sure that I stayed hydrated, which was hard in this heat. I had to stop when I didn’t want to because it was just too hot. Many days I worked in the rain. There were things that went wrong that delayed me. There were designs that had to be changed and reworked. I could have easily said, “I don’t think God wants me to build this as much as is going wrong.” Can I tell you just because it gets hard doesn’t mean that God doesn’t want you to do it.
Look at Nehemiah. He felt the call to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. It started great with the endorsement and provisions from the king. It soon though would not be so great. Nehemiah faced numerous challenges while rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem, including external opposition, internal strife, and personal attacks. His enemies, like Sanballat and Tobiah, mocked his efforts, spread rumors, and even plotted to attack the city. Internally, he dealt with the exploitation of the poor by the wealthy and the discouragement of the workers. Did this mean that God did not want him to rebuild the wall? Did this mean that God was working against him? No on both counts. God was working with him, but it still was hard, it still had its many challenges.
Maybe you ever had something that you were trying to do that just seemed to be getting harder. It may be a project, a soul you’re trying to reach, a ministry. It can even be your personal walk with God.
Oh yes your walk can get hard at times. Let things start going wrong one after another. Let it get hard and our flesh starts to think this is too hard. Maybe I got it wrong and this isn’t what I’m supposed to be doing. st Maybe you have a ministry that you feel called to do and you can’t seem to get it going right. This doesn’t mean that you aren’t supposed to do it. If you have prayed and talked to your Pastor (yes this is important because God will not go around the man that he has put to shepherd you) and you still feel like this is what you need to do then press on through the turmoil.
Don’t you think that Nehemiah sometimes looked at the wall and how little there had been accomplished plus how much had to be done and internally had to take a deep breath? He was determined because he knew what he was supposed to be doing. God has trusted you with this to get it accomplished. Get a determination in your spirit that says, “If God told me to do this then I’m going to do it.” Keep putting one brick on top of the other and keep building.
Jude 1:20-21 ISV 20 But you, dear friends, must continue to build your most holy faith for your own benefit. Furthermore, continue to pray in the Holy Spirit. 21 Remain in God’s love as you look for the mercy of our Lord Jesus the Messiah, which brings eternal life.
For more information on needing a Pastor go read the post: You Need a Shepherd