Work and Word

UV 990/10,000 Work and Word They which builded on the wall, and they that bare burdens, with those that laded, every one with one of his hands wrought in the work, and with the other hand held a weapon. Nehemiah 4 v 17 Our life and our faith and all that we do is like building a wall. We need to work brick by brick, moment by moment. The Lord gives us burdens and responsibilities that we can bear. If we feel that our burdens are a little too heavy, when we pray and focus on the Lord and His promises, He will lighten the load and give us an easier yoke. The Jews have a wailing wall in Jerusalem, a symbol of their defeat but we have a wall of deliverance and rejoicing in Jesus. He will enable us to scale the walls or overcome the barriers we face in our life and our work. Nehemiah and the Jews who were building the walls knew that they faced the threat of some foes and adversaries planning an attack on them to prevent them from re-building the walls. Nehemiah asked all those he enlisted as volunteers in re-building the walls of Jerusalem to carry their tools of work and do their work with one hand and to carry a weapon like a sword in the other hand. This implies that each of us is both a builder for the Lord as well as a soldier in the spirit. The Word of God is the sword that enables us to do our professional work effectively and consistently. The promises of God enables us to overcome all resistance and opposition. Labouring with our hands, talents, minds and natural gifts is as important as claiming cover and protection of the Lord in prayer. Prayer is spiritual labour. The words “ work, Word, worship and worth” have the common root “ wor”. We need not separate these aspects of our lives into watertight compartments but integrate our spiritual, personal, professional and emotional aspects of our lives. When we pray in the spirit, recalling the Word of God even as we are at our work spots, the Lord will undertake for us. He will fight for us. He guarantees success in our work as well as protection and provision in our lives. Our work tests the Word and the Word establishes our work. Prateep V Philip