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Voluntold

The military has a great term that is used quite frequently… voluntold.  Essentially, the term is used when a service member is asked to volunteer to do something they don’t want to do.  It’s one step before being ordered to do it.  

Today’s chapter in Nehemiah features men who were voluntold to live in Jerusalem.  You see, the Israelites lived in Judean towns that were part of their heritage and their ancestral property.  They wanted to live there and not in a city that had most recently been decimated. Think about it.  They just finished rebuilding the walls and gates to protect the city, but Jerusalem itself still needed rebuilding.  Vineyards and gardens needed to be sown.  Homes had to be rebuilt.  People were required to work in the temple.  The only way to get these volunteers was for the leadership to cast lots, an ancient way of rolling dice to see who got picked for a task.  

Have you ever been voluntold to do something?  Was it a project at work that you really didn’t want to do?  What about a spouse needing help with a project at home?  Or have you been voluntold to change what you eat in order to facilitate healing?  Being told what to do is hard, especially if you aren’t willing.

Has God ever asked you to do something that you don’t find necessary?  You can always bet that if He asks you to do something, no matter how small, it has great importance to Him.  The great preacher Dr. Charles Stanley has said when it comes to God, obedience brings blessing.  Are there blessings you are missing out on because you don’t want to do something? Maybe you need to be voluntold!

Questions:

1.  Have you ever been asked to volunteer for a project or ministry? How did you handle that?

2.  What are some blessings that come from obedience?

3.  What might God be asking you to do that you haven’t done?