NorthStar Community Daily Devotional

Day 25 – New start ups

Scripture focus: You'll use the old rubble of past lives to build anew, rebuild the foundations from out of your past. You'll be known as those who can fix anything, restore old ruins, rebuild and renovate, make the community livable again. Isaiah 58:12 The Message

We kept at it, repairing and rebuilding the wall. The whole wall was soon joined together and halfway to its intended height because the people had a heart for the work…. Nehemiah 4:6

When …[the bad guys] heard that the repairs of the walls of Jerusalem were going so well – that the breaks in the wall were being fixed – they were absolutely furious. They put their heads together and decided to fight against Jerusalem and create as much trouble as they could. We countered with prayer to our God and a set a round-the-clock guard against them. But soon word was going around in Judah, "The builders are pooped, the rubbish piles up; we're in over our heads, we can't build this wall. And all this time our enemies were saying, "They won't know what hit them. Before they know it we'll be at their throats, killing them right and left. That will put a stop to the work!" The Jews who were their neighbors kept reporting, "They have us surrounded; they're going to attack!" If we heard it once, we heard it ten times. Nehemiah 4:7-12 The Message

Something within our spirit loves to start new things – especially when we're helping make our community livable. I like painting my house and buying new carpet to replace the well-worn berber that so many children have trod on over the years. But I love our habitat for humanity projects. I love helping to provide a home for someone who needs a little push to move from a shelter to a place that shelters AND can be called home. I love it. It is spirit-satisfying.

But it is also an invitation to fail. The body and soul grow weary in doing the next right thing. And don't think the world is standing by eagerly desiring to applaud our efforts. The enemy has come to steal, kill and destroy.… In a culture grown accustomed to a "me first" mentality, the pursuit of selfless living is an anomaly.

So as we grow in our commitment to seeking out the quiet voice of the spirit, don't expect a big brass band to come alongside and cheer on our efforts. We'll need an armed guard to pass safely into the promised land – the world of living God's way.

Recommended reading: Psalm 30-32

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