Anticipating Distractions, Complacency, and Emptiness

Passage: Nehemiah 6.15-7.4

Date: December 4, 2022

At this point in the book of Nehemiah, the people have finally finished rebuilding the wall. Although the task was daunting, it only took 52 days for it to be completed. Additionally, the opposition that was once fierce has died down. Nevertheless, there was no time for complacency. There were still some issues that needed to be addressed.

First, Tobiah still had a lot of influence on the people of God (Neh 6.17-19). This was an influence that could not be easily removed and made things difficult in many ways. Second, the people still needed to be vigilant and on guard (Neh 7.3). And third, the city felt very empty because only a few people were dwelling in the city and houses have not yet been built (Neh 7.4). This might have made the people feel empty and have a sense that their hard work was not worth it. 

In many ways, this passage reflects what we are currently experiencing. The past few months have been quite intense at Uptown. God has been moving powerfully at our retreat, in our Sunday worship services, and in the lives of individuals. He is also doing a powerful work in our Life Groups, New Hope 101, and our Lunch On Us. As much as we have been experiencing breakthroughs, we have also been experiencing much opposition and discouragement. As of now, however, we might be experiencing a period of lull as we enter into the holiday season. 

May this passage be a reminder that there is no time for complacency. There might still be lingering issues that might not seem too severe, but can nonetheless cause problems. Additionally, we must stay vigilant by praying and being prayerful. And for some of us, we might be having a sense of emptiness and be discouraged into thinking that what we experienced over the past few months have not resulted in what we were expecting.