“I am doing a great work…”

Nehemiah 6.3

These words of Nehemiah sound rather arrogant.

They are not.

Nehemiah had a job to do.  There were troublesome, wicked, ungodly people trying to stop him.  They were trying to intimidate him.  Distract him.  Bully him.

“I sent messengers unto them, saying, I am doing a great work,

so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease,

whilst I leave it, and come down to you?”

Nehemiah is simply asking a question: “why should the work cease..?”

Is that being “high and mighty”, or is that serving The One Who is, “High and Mighty”?

Whom did Nehemiah fear most?  Who would he honour the most?  Whom did he choose to serve?  Did he have time to debate causes?  Or choose sides?  No!  He served the LORD God!  And God gave him “great work” to do.

What is the “great work” of our life?  Who might want us to “come down” - to quit - the work the Lord has given us?  We have the great work of being born again Christians.  Christian young people, husbands, wives, parents and law-abiding citizens.  Be aware – at some stage we may need to say, “I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you?”