Get to Work!

I felt a slight movement behind me. The arrow split the air and sent shivers down my spine. Sanballat, Tobiah, and their cronies were relentless. They heckled us day and night as we reinforced and rebuilt the wall. We had some close calls in avoiding bloodshed, but the amazing thing was the response of the people. Instead of turning tail and running away, they dug into their resolve and hunkered down to work.

Exercise:

Read Nehemiah 4.
Verse 1: the people were ridiculed. How about you? Do you second-guess yourself and the words God gives you to write?

Verse 5: the people were demoralized. Have you lost hope in the possibilities before you?

Verse 6: the people determined to work. Will you make up your mind to tackle the work before you?

Verse 7: the people carried on with the task. How will you persist through difficulty?

Verse 9: the people prayed and set up protection around themselves. How will you pray and guard your heart?

Verse 13: the people joined forces. Do you have a support system?

Verse 14: the people faced their fears and remembered the Lord. Will you confront your insecurities and remember God’s faithfulness?

Verse 15: the people returned to their own work on the wall. Have you neglected your manuscript?

Verse 16: the people surrounded their work with protection. Do you need to say no to distractions?

Verse 17: the people did double duty. Do you need to carry and defend/work and pray?

Verse 20: the people rallied for each other. How do you support other writers?

Verse 22: the people committed to 24-hour surveillance. Writing is thinking all the time. Are you ruminating on the nuances of your story?

“Our minds need rest between tasks, and you’ll face days when it seems you barely get any writing done. Allowing myself rest and time to engage in other activities lets me return to my work with a fresh mind, almost always pleasantly surprised at the work my subconscious has done on my project in the meantime.” *

Jerry B. Jenkins

Take note of the Jerusalem citizens and their decision to cooperate with Nehemiah’s plan. May it inspire you to guard your writing and cover it with prayer. The battle continues as we do God’s work. Let’s do it with resolve and persistence, knowing the Lord will fight for us.

Our God will fight for us!

Nehemiah 4:20 NIV

What can Nehemiah teach us about writing?

Over 140 of Sally Ferguson’s devotionals have been published in Pathways to God (Warner Press). She’s also written for Light From The Word, Chautauqua Mirror, Just Between Us, Adult Span Curriculum, Thriving Family, Upgrade with Dawn and ezinearticles.com. Prose Contest Winner at 2017 Greater Philly Christian Writers Conference.

Sally loves organizing retreats and seeing relationships blossom in time away from the daily routine. Her ebook, How to Plan a Women’s Retreat is available on Amazon.

Sally Ferguson lives in the beautiful countryside of Jamestown, NY with her husband and her dad.

Visit Sally’s blog at sallyferguson.net