Some Few Men with Me
Today’s Verse:
And I arose in the night, I and some few men with me; neither told I any man what my God had put in my heart to do at Jerusalem: neither was there any beast with me, save the beast that I rode upon. ~Nehemiah 2:12
Years ago, the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine had a picture of a basketball player dunking the basketball into the hoop. The caption of the article said, “The man that put the ball through the hoop had eight other hands behind him.” The idea behind this was that it takes teamwork to get an important job done. Basketball is a good example of a sport that requires teamwork. Championships are not accomplished through the effort of one man, but through the focus and cooperation of the other players on his team. As Nehemiah started his task of assessing what would be required of him to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, we see that Nehemiah was not alone. He said, “I arose in the night, I and some few men with me…”
We see the FELLOWSHIP.
These few men with Nehemiah were men united by a common desire. They shared the burden for assessing the damage and committing themselves to rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. Our fellowship is possible through Christ. When we look at the early days of the church in the book of Acts, the common denominator for the rapid growth and expansion of the church was their unity in Christ. Growth is not the goal: Jesus is the goal. Our fellowship is possible through camaraderie. This camaraderie has the same vision. This camaraderie has the same commitment. This camaraderie has the same determination. Nehemiah and some few men with him were united by a common cause.
We see the FAITH.
These few men with Nehemiah also shared a powerful faith. They had faith in God’s power. As they assessed the cost and effort that the project would entail, they knew it would be the greatest test of their faith ever. These few men had faith that God would be the reason the project would get done. Faith is our ability to see the impossible become possible. It is being able to see the invisible become visible. It is the ability to see broken walls become rebuilt walls. It is the ability to see a church where there was no church. It is the ability to see a classroom filled that once was empty. It is the ability to look at an impossible task and say, “It will be done!”
We see the PHILOSOPHY.
These men were committed to the philosophy, “Teamwork makes the dream work.” Their philosophy kept their friendship tight. Their philosophy made sure the weak link in the chain was strengthened. Their philosophy made sure every man knew what he was supposed to do, but also was ready to come to the aid of his friends if they encountered difficulty. Teamwork means it is not a superstar effort, but a team effort. Teamwork means equal sacrifice, sweat, and suffering. Teamwork means there are no lone rangers in this endeavor. It means that we do not abandon the project and leave our colleagues hanging. It is all about “we” and not “me.”
We see the FULFILLMENT.
The walls of Jerusalem were rebuilt in a record-breaking 52 days! Where there was formerly debris and waste, they were replaced with durable walls! Where once there was scorn and reproach, they were replaced with success and accomplishment. Nehemiah could not get the job done by himself. From the outset, we must never forget that the walls of Jerusalem were rebuilt by Nehemiah “and some few men with me.”
Be a part of something great! Don’t be standoffish! God needs you, and your pastor needs you, to help build some broken walls. The church moves forward with “I and some few men with me.” Be one of the few!
Have a participating God Morning!
Bible Reading Schedule: 1 Chronicles 22-24