On the right side of my desk rests a strip of paper blaring
this challenge: “Attempt something so
big for God that unless He is in it, it is bound to fail.” Each time I sit to write, those words stare
me down and make me think—and pray. The
friend who passed out that phrase at a teaching seminar two years ago took his
own advice and is spending his retirement going undercover to equip the
underground church. Sometimes we need
to remember that though life mainly consists of the little, we shouldn’t be
afraid to attempt the large.
“So the wall was
completed on the twenty-fifth of Elul, in fifty-two days”(Neh 6:15). In less than two months, Jerusalem’s wall
had risen from piles of rubble to full height.
The building project which for years had seemed impossible was now a
finished reality. Without divine help it
would never have been done—and everybody knew it. “When our enemies heard about
this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and lost their self-confidence,
because they realized that this work had been done with the help of our God”(Neh
6:16).
“Attempt something so big for God that unless He is in it,
it is bound to fail.” This is not a
call to reckless folly, but an encouragement to obey when God’s bidding seems
absurd. “Pack up the wife and hit the
road. I’ll let you know your destination
later.” That would be Abraham. “Go get my million people from slavery in
Egypt and lead them to a new land.” That
would be Moses. “March around Jericho
for seven days. Shout, and watch the
walls fall.” That would be Joshua. “Some
stones and a sling. What else could one possibly need to fight a fierce 9-foot
giant?” That would be David. “Five thousand men and only enough food for a
good McFish? Lunch is served.” That would be Jesus. And hopefully you can soon add your own story—the
story of a time when you took a risk on some ruins and God helped you build a
wall.
Don’t be daunted
by what others say cannot be done; give it a go, and watch God go!
“Nothing is
impossible with God.” (Luke 1:37)
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