Nehemiah 6:9b
Do you know what happens when you call on God for strength? When we let loose our grip on controlling things in our life? I am seriously rebellious and tend to hold on and hold on and try and try and try in my own strength, knowing full well that all that I am is nothing without God, and all that I do is all sinful unless I lean on His understanding, trust in His hand, and humbly surrender.
The hard part of surrendering is letting go. Sometimes the answer to surrender is just asking for the willingness. I am reminded of this story in my own life. Years ago, I was fired by an insurance agent when I told him I had tendonitis from holding my baby girl, asking him if I could move my computer directly in front of me. That agent’s best friend was an agent and he called me the following day and asked me to come to work for him. I was so angry at that man for firing me. But, one day I realized that it turned into an incredible blessing, and I asked God to give me the willingness to forgive that man. Would you believe the following day I received a phone call from that agent apologizing for his actions and asking me to forgive him. Willingness. Surrender.
Asking God to intervene in our story has changed my life when I remember to do it. I get stuck in my head, in my past, in my bad habits, patterns, negative thoughts. Although I am stubborn, when I finally relinquish control, and ask God, “Give me the willingness” or “now strengthen my hand” miracles happen. I could tell you story after story.
Nehemiah 6: 16 “When all our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and lost their self-confidence, because they realized that this work had been done with the help of our God.”
Nehemiah asks for God to strengthen the people’s hand in the rebuilding, in fortifying the rebuilt city and all the opposition runs. That is power at our fingertips. God has placed us in the palm of His hands and the rebuilding of our life also takes place in the palm of his hands. He fortifies our city, our body, our mind, our spirit if we ask. In insurance people ask me what is the key to selling insurance? I always respond ask, ask, ask.
My January has not gone as planned. I have made mistakes, been stuck in my cycles, leaned on my own strength and did not ask God to fortify my city, strengthen my hand and help me be willing to let go of my death grip around my habits, patterns, negative thoughts. Yet, God has kept me in Nehemiah, rebuilding. God has given me words to share. God has shown me grace and mercy and reminded me how much I am loved. Becoming new is a rebuilding process. we are BUILDING one brick at a time.
I need to remind myself daily that I am glass. I can be easily broken. God is solid ground, the bricks of truth cemented one at a time to my eternal soul. God covers me, guards me, protects me, reinforces truth. God cannot be shaken. God tempers us, he is the stabilizer in our ever-moving world. “Now strengthen my hands, Lord.”
Susanne Moore 