Editor’s Note: The AMI QT devotionals from Nov. 16-22 are provided by Pastor Jason Sato of Over the-Rhine Church (Cincinnati).
Devotional Thoughts for Today
Nehemiah 13:14 (ESV):
[14] Remember me, O my God, concerning this, and do not wipe out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God and for his service.
One of the most discouraging things that can happen in ministry is to see years of labor and sowing result in a complete lack of apparent fruit. If someone we mentor walks away from the faith, or if a ministry we have invested ourselves fully into falls apart, we would wonder what all this was for.
Nehemiah has sacrificed his time, his finances, and his position in the royal court to petition the king so that he can rebuild the wall of Jerusalem. He has done everything he can to lead the people of God in the ways of the Lord. And God has graciously answered the prayers of His people and reestablished the temple and the wall. As the people recommit their lives to the Lord and sing His praises on the wall of Jerusalem, Nehemiah probably hopes that this is the beginning of a new golden age in the history of Israel.
But instead, the people of God fall quickly into the same sins that led to exile. All that Nehemiah has labored for quickly falls apart. Will God’s people ever be restored? Were Nehemiah’s sacrifices in vain? Following the time of Nehemiah, God sends no more prophets, and His people wait amidst silence, wondering whether God has withdrawn His promises and forsaken His people for good.
And then, at the right time, the Son of God enters the world. All that the people had waited for, and all that Nehemiah had hoped in, is fulfilled in a way that far surpasses anything Israel could have asked for.
The eternal King is the very Son of God. The temple, the place where God dwells, is in our own hearts. The kingdom of God is invading every tribe, people, and nations, and the day is coming soon when every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord.
We may not see “fruit” in particular relationships or ministries in the near future. We may not see the full fruition of what we have sowed in this lifetime. But God is faithful, and our labor in the Lord is not in vain. God will get His glory, and the reward of our service to Him is that we will have more crowns to cast before our Savior.
Prayer
Father, I get discouraged so easily and grow weary so quickly. Remind me that You are the God who sees and remembers! Use everything I give for You to magnify Your name – if not in this life, then in the next. You are sure to receive all the glory!
Bible Reading for Today: Isaiah 65
When I was a kid, I played Little League Baseball. I remember one game in which our team was down by a few runs but in the bottom of the sixth (we played only six innings) we were actually making a comeback. Then, with two runners on base and two outs, I came up to bat and promptly struck out.
When my wife and I were planning our wedding, there were many details to take care of – the food, the decorations, the invitations, the music, etc. Our wedding day came, and many things that had been given a great deal of attention suddenly became less important. Of course, we enjoyed the different aspects of the day, but in the end, neither a place nor a schedule was nearly as important as a person.
Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of leading several mission teams to places all over the world. I’ve yet to have team members who were not blessed in some way, and more often than not, the brothers and sisters I served with had powerful encounters with God. Yet, what I have noticed is that a remarkable experience does not always lead to actual life transformation.
When was the last time in your life that singing was the most appropriate response to an event? At a wedding? After the birth of a child? In the car on the way to work? Now life may not be one long Disney musical (thankfully? ha ha), but the Lord can and does give us a reason to sing. In our passage, God fills the hearts of His people with praise. Despite all the obstacles, the wall is rebuilt in a mere 52 days. The threats of their enemies are harmless. The promises of God are being fulfilled right before their eyes, and the only appropriate response is to have a worship celebration.
When you consider where to live, what factors are important? A good school system? A hip restaurant scene? Plentiful job prospects? I would imagine that an abandoned ruin destroyed by war would not be high on your list of options—but this is the state of Jerusalem. Imagine a war torn city in Syria or Yemen and you’ll get the idea. Now Jerusalem is not experiencing active war, but the enemies of Israel are waiting for an opportunity to strike, the city itself is in great need of repair, and the people are still struggling to provide basic necessities for their families. Yet the city must be repopulated at great cost and great risk to the families who participate. Why?
Have you ever started a special collection of items? For a brief period, my mother was very interested in collecting different types of teapots. However, even though the collection was very precious to her, the teapots lay wrapped up in storage for years and years. When a neighboring family moved away and gifted us their china cabinet, the teapots finally came out of hiding. Now that they had a proper setting, they could be put on display for houseguests to see and admire.
When my parents entrusted me and my brother with personal computers for our schoolwork, they gave us very strict admonitions about being responsible and disciplined with schoolwork. We were supposed to do all of our work first, then play. Despite all their warnings, I still spent a great amount of concentration and efforts in multitasking with Facebook, TV miniseries, and college admission essays.
A common trope used in media is the story of an individual being removed from his or her true belongings (i.e., home) and not remembering where he or she came from. The animated movie Anastasia comes to mind, or more recently, Tangled. In Tangled, the main character Rapunzel is born a princess, but as an infant, she is kidnapped by an evil witch and grows up in the witch’s home, not knowing where she actually came from (confession: I listened to some Tangled songs after writing this).