All the occurrences of violent attacks in
the news recently has got me thinking...
When Nehemiah faced the threat of violence as he rebuilt the wall of Jerusalem, he didn't quit working.
He took some security measures, yes... but he kept up the activity God gave him to do.
And his laborers "worked with one hand and held a weapon with the other" (Neh.4:17).
There's an application in this for us.
In our fallen world, there will always be threats against our safety.
And in a culture that casts off God's directions for living -- as ours has -- the threats are going to be greater.
Living in this situation can be depressing and unnervering.
But it shouldn't keep us from the good God calls us
to do.
In fact, it should encourage us to see all the more how much our world needs God's grace and truth applied.
You just need to make provisions to secure your efforts.
You need to discover
what it means to work with a sword and a trowel in your own situation.