September 11, 2022
Daily Devotion:
"Lasting Quality..."
Nehemiah 4:17-18
New International Version
17 who were building the wall. Those who carried materials did their work with one hand and held a weapon in the other, 18 and each of the builders wore his sword at his side as he worked. But the man who sounded the trumpet stayed with me.
A Whole generation brought up on multitasking thinks nothing of organizing their minds around any number of competing screens, modes, or functions. Then again, from time immemorial mothers have been adroit multitaskers, managing the disparate demands of their households. When Nehemiah encountered opposition to his rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem, he raised multitasking to a new level for his time. To fend off attacks from the enemy, Nehemiah conceived of a brilliant strategy using “citizen-soldiers. "Hammer, saw, or trowel in one hand was balanced by shield, spear, or sword in the other. While the work progressed at breakneck speed, lookouts along the wall kept watch for any assault. When the trumpet sounded, all the workers quickly left their assigned positions to join in repelling the attack, and then it was immediately back to work-weapon in hand. This marvelous Old Testament story is the perfect picture of how we should live our lives: productive in our daily work, but with the sword of the Spirit by our side, ready to fend off any threats from a disbelieving world. Having often segregated our profession of faith from our daily professions, we can find our-selves vulnerable to Satan's surprise attacks. If we are to build a home, church, or society of lasting quality, it will take not only the usual tools of parenting and leadership but the written Word embedded into the soul. If at first it is awkward doing our jobs while firmly holding a weapon, the surprise is how much easier any task becomes when we are always prepared to do battle with a threatening world.
The soul-searching question is: Am I good at multitasking in every area of my life except my faith life?
