https://odb.org/2024/02/07/angels-on-the-walls
Nehemiah is not only a book in the Old Testament but was well-known for being the one who spearheaded the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem with exiles who returned from Babylon to Judah. Nehemiah was born in exile and became the cupbearer to the Persian King, who allowed him time off to return to Jerusalem when he saw how sad Nehemiah was about the crumbling walls of Jerusalem. Eventually, Nehemiah became governor of Jerusalem for 12 years. Scholars believe Nehemiah was a eunuch in the courts of King Artaxerxes.
The verse in the book, which I remembered was Nehemiah 4:9, where because the other tribes around Jerusalem were unhappy with the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem and were causing trouble, Nehemiah prayed to Yahweh and posted a watch every night. It speaks of the importance of prayer and committing things of importance to God but also being practical in the natural. A combination of both the spiritual and the natural to deal with issues of the day and life.
It’s like while you pray for God to help you with your exams, maybe give you inspiration on how to best approach a question, we need to still study hard and prepare ourselves. By now, we should know that using our service in church to compensate for our lack of preparation in facing exams or assignments, whether in school, college, or at work, is a recipe for disaster. The world doesn’t work that way, and we are living in the world amidst worldly systems. Yes, there is a spiritual dimension, and it will give us an edge but not in substitution of the work that we need to put in. So, if we are a good musician in God, God may use us to touch the hearts of the people but we cannot run away from putting in the practice to be who we are in music in God.
Always pray and commit our ways to God in all that we do. Don’t only go to God as our last resort. In the meantime, as we face the realities of life, be practical about things. Trust in God, yet do our part. Take the medication, go through the physiotherapy, and exercise while trusting in the healing power of God.
Ronnie's Thoughts 