I Will Not Come Down - Bob Scott

In Nehemiah 6:1-19, Nehemiah had almost completed the reconstruction of the walls of Jerusalem. He had had to endure ridicule and intimidation. In spite of all this, Nehemiah and his fellow workers had managed to rebuild the ruins.

Now his enemies want to draw him away so they can kill him and end the work before it is completed.

Nehemiah is quick to demonstrate where his priorities lie. "I am carrying on a great project and cannot go down." (Nehemiah 6:3 NIV)

The result of Nehemiah's faithfulness is the completion of the work in 52 days.

Here are some lessons we can learn from Nehemiah’s experience.

If you are up, don't come down. The world will try to fit you into its mold.

Paul writes: See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ." (Colossians 2:8 NIV)

If you are attempting to rise to God’s standards, do not allow yourself to be talked out of what you have determined, with God’s help, to do. Don't go down unless God tells you to in order to bring someone up. In the Bible, God always directed people when He wanted to change lives. The Holy Spirit will give you discernment.

Most important; if you were serving Him and came down, remember that God is the God of second chances. He will guide you to the goal that He has established for you.

It does not matter what we have done, as long as we go to Him with it and truly repent. That means not wanting it your way ever again. God will forgive.

Do what you must do, not what you want to do. Build for eternity.

Robert Scott is a pastor and the author of Advertising Murder, Lost Youth, and Murder Express, titles in the Jack Elton Mystery series, Published by Avalon Books, New York.