Pray, wait and share

 Psalm 40:1–17 (ESV):  

1  I waited patiently for the Lord; 

he inclined to me and heard my cry. 

2  He drew me up from the pit of destruction, 

out of the miry bog, 

and set my feet upon a rock, 

making my steps secure. 

3  He put a new song in my mouth, 

a song of praise to our God. 

Many will see and fear, 

and put their trust in the Lord. 

4  Blessed is the man who makes 

the Lord his trust, 

who does not turn to the proud, 

to those who go astray after a lie! 

5  You have multiplied, O Lord my God, 

your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us; 

none can compare with you! 

I will proclaim and tell of them, 

yet they are more than can be told. 

6  In sacrifice and offering you have not delighted, 

but you have given me an open ear. 

Burnt offering and sin offering 

you have not required. 

7  Then I said, “Behold, I have come; 

in the scroll of the book it is written of me: 

8  I delight to do your will, O my God; 

your law is within my heart.” 

9  I have told the glad news of deliverance 

in the great congregation; 

behold, I have not restrained my lips, 

as you know, O Lord. 

10  I have not hidden your deliverance within my heart; 

I have spoken of your faithfulness and your salvation; 

I have not concealed your steadfast love and your faithfulness 

from the great congregation. 

11  As for you, O Lord, you will not restrain 

your mercy from me; 

your steadfast love and your faithfulness will 

ever preserve me! 

12  For evils have encompassed me 

beyond number; 

my iniquities have overtaken me, 

and I cannot see; 

they are more than the hairs of my head; 

my heart fails me. 

13  Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me! 

O Lord, make haste to help me! 

14  Let those be put to shame and disappointed altogether 

who seek to snatch away my life; 

let those be turned back and brought to dishonour 

who delight in my hurt! 

15  Let those be appalled because of their shame 

who say to me, “Aha, Aha!” 

16  But may all who seek you 

rejoice and be glad in you; 

may those who love your salvation 

say continually, “Great is the Lord!” 

17  As for me, I am poor and needy, 

but the Lord takes thought for me. 

You are my help and my deliverer; 

do not delay, O my God! 

When you wait for God to act, He will, and He will give you everything you need. 

David tells us that in his plight he prayed to God, telling Him about the suffering and pain he was experiencing, and God came through. Not just once, but every time. However, each time David had to wait ‘patiently’. When you're in need of God's assistance, do you wait patiently for God to act? Or do you pray, and then try to resolve things yourself? This is fine if God has given you inspiration in how to resolve the issue, otherwise you are preventing God from resolving things and taking the responsibility into your own hands. David tells us that his responsibility was to talk to God, then wait patiently. This is your responsibility too. Yet we can too often do the first bit of praying, but not do the essential second part which is wait! You are not God, therefore you cannot and should not be trying to fix every issue or solve every problem, what you should be doing is what David had learnt - pray and wait. For he declares that, 'I waited patiently for the Lord; he inclined to me and heard my cry.' If you want a testimony like that then you need to do the same.

Look at what David experienced. When he had learnt to pray and wait; painfully, enduringly, waiting. He saw that God; turned to him, listened, rescued him and brought him into a safe place, sent him in a new direction and gave David a reason to worship. When you wait on God, really wait, even when it hurts, you can experience this too. Do you want to be listened to, rescued and restored, given new hope and a heart full of gratitude? Then talk to God about what is going on, then wait. Keep praying and waiting, for however long it takes for the situation to dramatically reform then you will have reasons to worship. God will give you have testimonies to share of His goodness so that, 'Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the Lord.' Once God has helped you through a trying time in your life, what do you do? Do you thank Him? Give Him gratitude and tell others of God's goodness? 

David declares that, 'I have not hidden your deliverance within my heart; I have spoken of your faithfulness and your salvation; I have not concealed your steadfast love and your faithfulness from the great congregation.' When you have been praying for something to happen and it does, do you tell others about it? Overcoming life's obstacles; being preserved, restored, forgiven, saved, heard by God, given direction security and reassurance are all great testimonies that should be shared. These circumstances demonstrate God's steadfast love, His faithfulness, salvation, kindness and power and so your stories should be shared. You should not hide the stories of deliverance and breakthrough, 'within my heart', but rather they need to be shared in, 'the great congregation. Give God the public glory. It will encourage and inspire others, give hope and show the power, might and love of God. Your story could allow others to, 'put their trust in God'. What a marvellous opportunity you have when God has brought you through temptation and trial - it is a chance for you to share your experience and by doing so others can develop trust in God, grow in faith and be inspired to hope in their situation. So, do not keep quiet, do not restrain your lips because you're afraid or feel that your experience is insignificant or silly. Who does that honour? Instead share about the amazing things God has done in you and in your life. Declare with gladness, 'Great is the Lord', show others that God is your, 'help and deliverer'. For by speaking of your, 'glad news of deliverance', you will be increasing joy, hope and faith in God in your hearers and will increase your own joy in your experience of God's love and power. You help to encourage others and build the church when you share the stories of what God has done. 

You can only collect these stories by praying and waiting. If you try to resolve all the problems yourself, who will get the commendation and praise once the trial has ended? 

Pray to God for the impossible, ask Him to preserve your life, to bring direction, breakthrough, deliverance, salvation, restoration, hope, security, and wait for Him to do so. Then you will have reason to worship, and great stories of, 'deliverance' to share with others so that God's love and faithfulness can be seen afresh and people can be inspired to put their trust and hope in God. You can help build the kingdom of God by praying, waiting and sharing - what a wonderful privilege!

Come, let us build

I have started reading through Nehemiah, and it really struck me anew that there really was a marvellous mix of people that worked together to build up the city wall of Jerusalem. 

The city had been destroyed by battles; the walls burnt and broken, and the pieces left to lie in ruins for years. It was a war-torn, abandoned city. Once the pride and joy of its inhabitants, now it was a place with a few stragglers left or a few returning Jews released from exile amidst a pile of rubble.

Then Nehemiah turned up. Before that though he was in a totally different city, serving a foreign king as a cupbearer. Yet he had a heart for Jerusalem. He was heartbroken by the state of the city of God that had been reported to him. This city, Jerusalem, was the home of his ancestors, the place where the temple of God had been, where festivals had been held by the gatherings of God’s people, now a place of desolation. 

So, he prayed. After all, what could he do? He himself was an exile, and a servant of the king. He prayed. Then God gave him the opportunity to return to Jerusalem, so he took it and went to see what was going on and what he could do.

After prayer and secretly checking out the condition of the city, Nehemiah rallied the people together and became the instigator for the vision to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. Nehemiah told the people what he felt God directing him to do - rebuild and repair the the city wall, he then extended the invite to everyone, ‘Come, let us build the wall of Jerusalem’. Nehemiah knew it was a big task, but that didn't deter him, instead he asked others to join in and help. It wasn’t a mandate, or a law; it was an invitation, an inspired call to action. Nehemiah told the people what he had seen, what he felt and asked them to be a part of it. Many responded. Many did not. 

The overall corporate voice seems to have been, ‘Let us rise up and build. So they strengthened their hands for the good work’. Amazing response! People were willing. They hadn't quite seen things the way they were, or what they could do, until they were inspired and gathered by Nehemiah. Then they wanted tog et involved to make whatever difference they could. That's how a great marvellous mix of people came together to build.

The first mentioned in Nehemiah was the High Priest - the top religious man of the time, along with his family. It seems like they set the precedent; they set aside their robes and status and began the work of builders. This religious family took up Nehemiah’s call to do the dirty, hard lifting work, and they toiled til they had completed and consecrated their section. Many others did the same; men and women from different areas, tribes, vocations and ages. They all did their bit. There were; leaders, goldsmiths, perfumers, rulers, levites, priests, servants and merchants all involved, yet not one mention of a carpenter or builder, isn’t that interesting? You don’t have to be a skilled expert to faithfully do what God has called you to do, you just need to be willing. This story in Nehemiah proves it.

This people were compelled and committed to realising the vision Nehemiah cast to rebuild the city. They heard the call, and signed up to the task. Not an easy one either, they had to work really hard, ‘from the break of dawn until the stars came out’. This was no half-hearted effort, it was all consuming, difficult, labouring. There would have been times when they were; tired, fed up, worn out, grumpy, aching and scared, but they were not put off. They knew the call was to build, and each person dedicated their time, effort and energy to the reconstruction of that city wall. They didn’t focus on the everyday inconvenience, discomfort or danger, but on the promise of a fulfilled mission, the commitment of a people working together to complete a work of God. The city wall of Jerusalem was rebuilt by families and individuals working diligently. Everyone did what they could despite the hard work, late hours and threats. They strengthened one another and look what they achieved - The city wall was built in 52 days! That is impressive! A people willingly working together to build God's kingdom can do incredible things.

So, how can we apply this to our lives? Consider these questions:

What is it that your church is rallying people to build where you live? 

Where is the gap in the wall that you can faithfully build? 

God is calling you, asking you if you would join in the reconstruction work that is going on where you are, ‘Come, let us build'. He invites you to join in, are you going to take up the call, or be like those that didn't? because there is an alternative response to this call. Looking back at the verses in Nehemiah 3, there are those that did not rally, that did not get involved. They were notable in their absence, ’their nobles would not stoop to serve the Lord’. I think that is very sad, don't you? There were, and there are, those that profess to be God’s people, but they won’t get stuck in. When it comes down to the nitty gritty, there are people that will opt out of the hard work of building because it is difficult and inconvenient and maybe because they feel inadequate. Are you one of those? 

If so, look at what you’re missing out on. As we read the book of Nehemiah it is not always fun, in fact it is hard and it will challenge and stretch you, plus you will probably get outside influences and distractions trying to halt you. Yet those that respond to the call to build are part of something bigger than themselves. They see the miracle of completion, the joy of relationship and protection. They see answers to prayer and enemies defeated, they see how God has had a massive hand in their lives and achievements. They see themselves and where they live transformed. So, really, are you willing to miss out on that? 

Today, you have a chance to respond to the call of God to build. 

Are you going to be like the faithful men and women that responded, who could quite rightly have said, “I’m not a builder, I am a perfumer/priest/servant/etc……. What can I do?” Yet they didn’t. They did not regard their experience level, skill or status as a hindrance, instead their response was a willing, ‘Let us rise up and build’!

With the little or the much you have, are you willing to see what God will do with it and how He will use you to build His kingdom? It won't be easy, it will challenge you and stretch you, but will you obey the call?

It could be that God is inviting you to help an existing team, join a prayer initiative, serve refreshments, be part of a community service team, or maybe even start building a part of the wall that hasn't even been started yet, a new initiative that will build the kingdom of God where you are.

If you're not sure what to do, then ask God - He will show you, probably several times if you're anything like me! God has invited me, many times, to do things I have been ill equipped to do. Like; join the welcome team when I was too shy to speak to anyone (I would be the quiet one hiding in the corner or putting away the chairs to avoid conversation), or be part of the prayer team when I never prayed aloud, then to start a Sunday morning youth work when there were no young people in the church at the time. I was weak, incapable and unskilled in all of these things, but I was willing.  And do you know what?! I grew and changed, learnt new skills and abilities and I have seen God do great things. I am not the same person I was, because my attitude was like those willing builders Nehemiah inspired.

Regardless of capacity, status or skill, are you willing to ask God what it is He wants you to build? 

‘Let us rise up and build’? 

Why would builders reject a stone?

Basically, because it's not fit for purpose. It may be tarnished, discoloured, have a fault, holes or cracks in it. If this is the case then the integrity of the stone will be under question. The stability of a building depends on the structure of each individual stone. Therefore each stone would be inspected to determine if it's fit for purpose. If there were any question about it, then the stone would be rejected as no-one wants houses falling down on their heads! 

The stability of a building depends on the stability of each stone. Each stone has to be free from blemish, strong and undamaged. All others are rejected, so when we read:

The stone that the builders rejected 

has become the cornerstone,”

1 Peter 2:7 (ESV)

This seems unbelievable. Why would a rejected stone which is not deemed fit for purpose by the experts become the cornerstone? How does a rejected stone become the first stone of primary importance - the cornerstone? 

It's not just that the rejected stone was of use, but it became of primary use. The rejected one became the cornerstone - the stone which all other stones are lined up against. The base stone which determines the structural soundness of the whole building itself. If the cornerstone is faulty, the likelihood is that the whole building will collapse. 

It sounds ludicrous, yet that's exactly what happened!

I know that Peter is using an analogy; The stone that the builders rejected signifies that Jesus was rejected by the religious experts. 

He was not fit for their purpose. He did not line up with the vision of what they wanted to build. He didn't fit. 

So, what happened? 

Jesus became a new standard. He became the first stone in a new building. He was the perfect cornerstone for a new regime, a new way of building life which we can all align with. When we align ourselves with Him we become part of something greater and stronger than ourselves. We are built into a something solid that will stand the test of time.

The Church

Reading through Ephesians 2 and 3, I have been struck by the descriptions of what the church is.

Ephesians 2:21 states, 'the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple to the Lord'.

The church is a living, breathing, developing entity. It comprises of different sections, us. 

We are 'joined together'. We are meant to fit, so we should make efforts to align ourselves with one another, otherwise the building isn't going to be pretty!

 It'll just be a heap, a pile of stones. 

There is something unique and special about christians standing in unity. We are all individual, moulded from the same image, but created different, yet we are called to join together with each other. 

Why?

To, 'grow into a holy temple to the Lord'.

So, uniting together causes us to grow. 

We develop when we align ourselves with others of the same faith. It won't always be easy and will, in fact, be quite challenging, but if you recall growing up as a kid, that was quite challenging at times! 

But, if we don't grow and develop, we don't mature, and we cannot do as many things. 

The goal here, is to become a 'holy temple to the Lord'. 

Working together to achieve a dwelling place for the Lord God Almighty sounds like a pretty cool thing to want to achieve! 

Verse 22 goes on to say that we are, 'being built together'. It's a continual process, organic, moving and increasing. This takes work, some from our side, but also from God's, He works alongside us to build us together in unity. 

Reading through the next chapter, Ephesians 3 and verse 10, Paul relays that, 'through the church the manifold wisdom of God might be made known to the rulers and authorities in heavenly places'.

You what?!?!

Yes, the Bible tells us that through the church, we are revealing something of God's marvellous wisdom to those in heaven! That's pretty spectacular! 

We, us; mere, mortal, mammals have responsibility to work together and display the wisdom of God! and not just to one another or those who do not yet know Christ, but to heavenly beings! 

That sounds crazy..........It also sounds kinda scary........

Our actions, inactions and words have far reaching consequences, further than we can comprehend. How we decide to use what we have as a part of the temple of God can have repercussions in the heavenly realms as well as here on Earth.

We have great responsibility, no matter our different viewpoints as; people, churches or denominations, we should all be Christ-centric, and this is where our unity can build from. 

There are undoubtably people in each fellowship that you would prefer not to be around, but God has called the 'WHOLE structure' to be joined together, to grow, to build and develop in order to demonstrate His wisdom.

So, let us be wise, let us choose to love one another, align ourselves with each other and demonstrate not only God's great love and mercy to the world, but also His great, magnificent wisdom to those heavenly realms.