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Dealing With Hardships
As opposition to rebuilding the community in Jerusalem developed, Nehemiah was prepared. He remained calm and trusting in God.
Having already anticipated opposition, Nehemiah called the people to work together to protect what they had already built and continue the required work.
These chapters in the book of Nehemiah remind me of another small, committed team who worked to protect a special community. In 2019, bushfires threatened Mogo Zoo in southern NSW. The team of zookeepers put into practice their fire protection plan, using walkie-talkies to call team members with the water trucks to areas where spot fires caught alight. The team worked together and saved the zoo and all the animals. It was an extraordinary feat as the bushfires devastated much of the local area.
All communities and individuals will face challenges and opposition at some point. It’s helpful to remember to trust in God and seek to work with others to protect the work that has already been done in community building. Overcoming opposition takes prayer, trust, and help from others.
We’re not supposed to do it by ourselves.
Written by PHIL HENRY
Scripture
About this Plan
A series by Phil & Kath Henry. The book of Nehemiah in the Old Testament of the Bible is more than an account of rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem. It’s an invitation to all who read it to be inspired by one person’s faith and passion to rebuild a community of people. The story can speak to each of us today as we desire to rebuild communities of faith and hope in the wake of the discouragement and vulnerability that world events have caused in the past few years. In this plan, we consider how compassion for others can become inspirational action. We’ll also consider how we can do our God-given part without taking on more than is ours to do.
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