And...
"They (Nehemiah and the Jewish people's enemies) all made plans to come and fight against Jerusalem and to bring about confusion there. But we prayed to our God and guarded the city day and night to protect ourselves." Nehemiah 4:8-9
On a regular basis, I find myself faced with the question, "Would you rather ________________ or would you __________________?" Immediately, my mind begins to race to find a way to change the "or" into an "and". For example, "I'd like the apple pie AND the ice cream. Just put them on the same plate." I understand that there are definitely either/or decisions in life. Many times however, there are powerful, not to mention absolutely critical, "ands" that need to be pursued as well.
Nehemiah thought so. His first and most passionate response to life was prayer. He cried out to God all the time. Yet, time and time again we see the wonderful and necessary "and" in his journey with God. In the verses for today, we see him praying and guarding the city. Prayer was not a substitute for vigilance, obedience and wise courageous action.
Today, I challenge you to pray. Pray like this is the only day that you know you have left on planet earth, because it is. And ... obey. And ... be bold in your faith. And ... love sacrificially. And ... give generously. And ... humble yourself. And ... confess and turn from sin. And ... For many of us, our wonderful adventure with Jesus has been waiting on the other side of the "and". Let's seize it and watch God do the impossible in, through, and around our life.
Grace and Peace,
Tom
On a regular basis, I find myself faced with the question, "Would you rather ________________ or would you __________________?" Immediately, my mind begins to race to find a way to change the "or" into an "and". For example, "I'd like the apple pie AND the ice cream. Just put them on the same plate." I understand that there are definitely either/or decisions in life. Many times however, there are powerful, not to mention absolutely critical, "ands" that need to be pursued as well.
Nehemiah thought so. His first and most passionate response to life was prayer. He cried out to God all the time. Yet, time and time again we see the wonderful and necessary "and" in his journey with God. In the verses for today, we see him praying and guarding the city. Prayer was not a substitute for vigilance, obedience and wise courageous action.
Today, I challenge you to pray. Pray like this is the only day that you know you have left on planet earth, because it is. And ... obey. And ... be bold in your faith. And ... love sacrificially. And ... give generously. And ... humble yourself. And ... confess and turn from sin. And ... For many of us, our wonderful adventure with Jesus has been waiting on the other side of the "and". Let's seize it and watch God do the impossible in, through, and around our life.
Grace and Peace,
Tom
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