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            The story of Nehemiah is an interesting one.  God has called him to be part of the rebuilding of Jerusalem as the Babylonian captivity nears an end.  God moves in the heart of the King to release him to his calling.  But the role of cupbearer is quite different than the job of rebuilding the city wall under the threats of enemies. In Nehemiah 4:14 (NLT) we find these words:

            Then as I looked over the situation, I called together the nobles and the rest of the people and said to them, “Don’t be afraid of the enemy! Remember the Lord, who is great and glorious, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes!”

Nehemiah’s determination to follow the Lord’s calling and encourage his workers to fight resulted in great success.  I believe there is a great spiritual parallel here.  In various scriptures such as I Peter 5:8 (NLT) we are cautioned about the nature and intents of our enemy: Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.

In our day-to-day lives we take great care to protect our loved ones and neighbours.  We contribute to taxes which provide clean water, safe food, health care, and many similar aspects of our every-day lives.  These safeguards do not come without significant costs.  But what about the spiritual lives of our loved ones, friends and neighbours?  What degree of cost are we prepared to spend in praying for them, praying for God to build the ‘hedge of protection’ around them?  The phrase ‘hedge of protection’ does not appear in scripture but there are many scriptures that allude to God’s protection such as Psalm 91:1-2 (NIV): “Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.’”.

Given the nature and intent of our enemy to destroy let’s be prepared to spend what ever it takes to build that spiritual hedge.

The story is told of an official celebrating the opening of an expensive correctional facility for youth.  During his remarks he stated that if only one boy could be saved the cost would be worth it.  After the program finished a listener from the audience took issue with that remark.  “How could you possibly suggest that this enormous cost could be justified by saving just one boy?” He asked.  The speaker quickly answered: “It would be if it were my boy”

In our Hebrews study we learned that Jesus is consistently interceding in glory for his children.  Shouldn’t his example motivate us to intercede for ours?   Pastor Dave