Under Construction

May 2021

Forewarning, this is going to be long, real, raw, and transparent. I’m sitting here at 4:44am (four is creative works) on a very early Sunday morning after drinking way too much coffee. I just finished a ten page paper as I am trying my hardest to finish my Masters Degree in Ministry/Biblical Studies. I feel that I, and many others, are in an expedited training period as we prepare for what God has in store for our future––laying foundational stones on which to stand on in the next season. We are “making ourselves ready” as instructed in Revelation 19:7.

“Let us rejoice and exult and give Him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His Bride has made herself ready.” Revelation 19:7

I, as many of you, are obeying the Lord as He directs our steps. Not only did I write a long paper today, I also read a 223 page book, watched four extremely long classes (note to self: do not teach long in my next class), took two tests, cooked meals, did laundry, and made a grocery list while planning and responding to ministry related affairs. I am not complaining one bit because I absolutely love what the Lord has called me to do in this season and He has given me extra grace to do it, but I just find it fascinating that some people think ministry is easy or glamorous—sigh. Rewarding, yes. Glamorously easy, far from it. Studying to show thyself approved is no joke. Not to mention church is in just a few more hours. Who needs sleep anyway?

“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15

I am not out to gather sympathy or attention, I am just giving you a look into the realness of my everyday life—actually, this is many of your lives as well. We all live extremely busy lives. I thought as my children grew up I’d have more time. I was wrong. Very wrong. It has turned out to be quite the opposite. Although everyday isn’t as busy as today was, it’s important to note that all types of ministry, just like motherhood, is a 24/7 job. Since we are all called to be ministers in our homes and spheres of influence, it's about time we get real, raw, and transparent with each other in the body of Christ. Not everyone has it together all the time. Some days are just busy. I do, however, feel no matter how busy we get, we should make time to spend with the Lord, study the Word of God for ourselves, and seek to grow in Godly wisdom daily instead of relying on others to feed us. So, thanks to a bazillion cups of coffee, I have stayed awake.

I did however take a much needed break to tag along and watch my son fly a drone. Anytime your older children ask you to hang out with them, you say “yes” no matter how busy you are. No matter what age our children are, they should always rank higher than a busy schedule. I am never too busy for my children and they know that I will always stop whatever I am doing for them. So as I sat taking a breather, I waited and watched for the flying contraption to ascend. I thought through my tiredness maybe I missed the take off. I jumped out of the car to see what was going on only to find a very sad looking son and a very dead drone. My heart went out to my son as he worked to try and fix the flying saucer thingy. I looked down at the flying robot and had an overwhelming holy frustration. I looked at my son and said, “Nope, this thing has to fly. I’m not accepting that it’s dead.” So I laid my hands on the gray, cold body of the drone. Sure enough it was dead as a doornail. I began to tell it to live and not die. I commanded it to come to life and fly. I know some are thinking I’ve lost my mind due to all that school work, but this tired momma wasn’t having it. I called forth heavenly assistance and began praying in the spirit. My son joined in as we told the drone to spring forth life. All of a sudden, what was dead sprang to life in the form of green blinking lights and spinning little tail thingys. I jumped for joy as it came back to life! What was dead came alive before our eyes. We praised the Lord as the drone took flight and soared into the air.

“Everyone will say, ‘Come and see the incredible things God has done; it will take your breath away! He multiplies miracles for his people!’ He made a highway going right through the Red Sea as the Hebrews passed through on dry ground, exploding with joyous excitement over the miracles of God.” Psalm 66:5-6

As I watched the pure joy on my son's face, I was reminded of what I read in God’s Word during my study time earlier that day. As I watched the drone flying around, I thought about the heaps of ruins from the fallen wall that laid in piles around the city of Jerusalem in the book of Nehemiah. I can only imagine what those drone shots would’ve looked like. The wall was protecting the temple, and without the wall, the temple lay open for the enemy attacks. The walls looked dead, impossible to bring back to life. But, God had a better plan. Instead of hauling off the rubble, He put up an “Under Construction” sign instead. He not only wanted to bring what was dead back to life, but cause it to soar. He used the broken pieces of the wall depicted in the book of Nehemiah to show generations to come that nothing is too hard for our God––that He is the ultimate Restorer. If only they had a drone back then, the before and after videos would for sure be featured on a home restoration TV show.

“Looking into their eyes, Jesus replied, ‘Humanly speaking, no one, because no one can save himself. But what seems impossible to you is never impossible to God!’” Matthew 19:26

“With people it is impossible, but not with God—God makes all things possible!” Mark 10:27

Whatever looks crumbled, lifeless, out of date, or dead in your life, even if it’s a drone, remember that nothing is impossible with God. If He can bring back to life a flying contraption, He can bring life to the broken pieces of your life. Whatever your ruins and crumbled dead mess looks like, there is hope beyond what you can see right now. You are not demolished. You may have an “Under Construction” sign over your life, but you are not done yet. I feel there is a holy frustration arising in many that are saying to the seemingly dead promises, “Arise and fly! Live and not die.” I encourage you to speak to those dormant places to spring forth life and soar in the name of Jesus. It’s time to put on our hard hats and safety vests and get to work rebuilding our lives for God’s glory.

“Your people will rebuild long-deserted ruins, building anew on foundations laid long before you. You will be known as Repairers of the Cities and Restorers of Communities.” Isaiah 58:12

Billy Graham’s wife, Ruth Bell Graham, requested the words “End of Construction––Thank you for your patience” to be written on her tombstone when she went to be with the Lord. She had a great understanding that from birth until death, our lives are under God’s loving construction as we are molded into His likeness. The Lord is the Master Builder (not to be confused with the children’s cartoon, Bob The Builder), and through faith in Him, we can be restored. In order to rebuild our lives, we must be grounded in the Word of God, accept salvation by the blood of the Lamb, and be filled with the Holy Spirit as we walk in Godly character with a thankful heart.

ULTIMATE BLUEPRINT

God’s Word is the roadmap to life and the ultimate self-help book. Unlike other self-help guides, God’s truth through the scriptures are life breathed to bring about transformation from within. No other book in history has the ability to do what God’s Word does. “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12). The Bible is full of truth, wisdom, and guidance that should be our first source when needing help in our everyday lives. His Word is the blueprint on how to build and construct our lives.

The book of Nehemiah is the sixteenth book in the Bible and clearly depicts throughout it’s context how the Lord wants to be our helper through all of life's journeys. Even though the book of Nehemiah was written before Jesus walked the earth and isn’t the most well-known book of the Bible, it holds many truths concerning personal growth, rebirth, and restoration. Nehemiah was a leader with great influence and a picture of the Holy Spirit emerging through the chapters of this action packed book. This amazing book of the Bible is centered around rebuilding the walls of Nehemiah’s city. Nehemiah's heart cry was for his people to be restored and walls to be rebuilt as a sign of God's faithfulness. I see Nehemiah like the head construction manager over a major building project. He took responsibility for the work that needed to be completed and travailed as he committed to overseeing it until the end.

“And they said to me, ‘The survivors who are left from captivity in the province are there in great distress and reproach. The wall of Jerusalem is also broken down, and its gates are burned with fire.’ So it was, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned for many days; I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven.” Nehemiah 1:3-4

As we read the book of Nehemiah, we can see the correlation of city walls and the “walls'' of our own lives. Nehemiah’s life and legacy is a picture of how we too can find freedom and walk in victory as our lives and cities are restored. If Nehemiah lived in our day and time, his life would make for one amazing reality home improvement series. Through God’s Word, by the teaching of the Holy Spirit, and Nehemaih’s amazing life’s story, we can identify what areas in our own lives that need to be brought back to life, restructured and rebuilt in order to walk in wholeness. Therefore, God’s Word is the only home improvement, self-help book we need as we take steps to rebuild our own lives.

SAVED AND FILLED

The first step to rebuilding one's life is to receive Jesus as our personal Savior, ask Him to come into our heart, and allow Him to wash us clean. We must recognize that we are sinners and allow the Holy Spirit to help us become unchained from our past. As we invite the Holy Spirit to fill our lives, we can walk in freedom and power. When we ask Jesus into our lives and are filled with the power of the Holy Spirit, He becomes our strength when we feel weak.

“But the Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor—Counselor, Strengthener, Standby), the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name [in My place, to represent Me and act on My behalf], He will teach you all things. And He will help you remember everything that I have told you.” John 14:26

The Holy Spirit is the Comforter and Guide through life’s journeys. The truth of who He is is vital to the rebirth and restoration of our lives. The Holy Spirit makes people more thankful, loving, generous, considerate, understanding––more like Jesus. With Jesus in our hearts and the Holy Spirit by our side, we can manage the ups and down of life’s journeys through the construction process. God has an amazing way of flipping the script and restoring our lives from any damage we endure in our everyday lives. The Holy Spirit gives us the capacity to not only survive obstacles and trials, but thrive as we see ourselves seated in Heavenly places with Christ Jesus.

“And He raised us up together with Him [when we believed], and seated us with Him in heavenly places, [because we are] in Christ Jesus.” Ephesians 2:6

God has forgiven our past sins by the power of His salvation and we no longer have to allow our past to remain part of our present reality or be carried into our future. We are forgiven therefore, we too should forgive ourselves and others in order to walk in victory. With the power of the Holy Spirit and the truth of God’s eternal inheritance, we can walk into our future with purpose. Our salvation through Christ Jesus solves the problem of our relationship with God, but it doesn’t always take away the pain and problems in our lives. We must learn to navigate life through a close, daily, intimate, and personal relationship with Christ.

STRENGTH BY PRAYER

Throughout Nehemiah’s life, he was a man of prayer and had a strong relationship with God. In the thirteen chapters of the book of Nehemiah, there are around seventeen prayers that he prayed. Nehemiah kept his mind on things above as he witnessed the results before his very eyes—receiving the answers to the longings of his heart and petitions before the throne of God. I encourage everyone to pursue a daily mindset of renewal like Nehmiah demonstrated through an intimate relationship with Jesus, prayer and fasting in order to walk towards recovery as long awaited prayers are answered. Nehemiah’s people may have had a new lease on life, but continued to circle the cycle unable to break free, recover fully, and walk in complete renewal of rebirth. They returned to their ancestral land, but they had not yet found a way to restore their city from the ruins of yesterday’s pain, brokenness, and ashes of burned memories. It seemed impossible for their hurting and distressed land to ever become whole again.

When Nehemiah heard about the brokenness of his people, he asked the king for permission to return to his ancestral land so he could rebuild the walls of Jerusalem from the rubble of the past pain and lead his people into what was to come.

“The king said to me, ‘What is it you want?’ Then I prayed to the God of heaven, and I answered the king, ‘If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favor in his sight, let him send me to the city in Judah where my ancestors are buried so that I can rebuild it.’ Then the king, with the queen sitting beside him, asked me, ‘How long will your journey take, and when will you get back?’ It pleased the king to send me; so I set a time.” Nehemiah 2:4-6

As Nehemiah prayed, fasted, and obeyed the Lord, he had favor with the king. By Nehemiah's faith in the Lord and finding favor with the king, he was able to go back to his city, help rebuild the walls, and restore what was broken. Nehemiah was sent by the king to restore the broken parts of the past, so the Holy Spirit was sent by King Jesus to restore the broken areas of our lives.

Just as Nehemiah led his people to think and do the work for themselves in order to rebuild their lives, so the Holy Spirit loving guides us on how we can pick up and rebuild the ruins of our past and walk into the promise of a future of hope and wholeness. I once heard Jack Hayford ask a valid question: “Could it be the historic person of Nehemiah, without realizing it himself, was a key figure in a timeless moving picture about the way God’s Spirit assists us in the recovery of all those ruined parts of our lives that sin has disintegrated?” Henceforth, the book of Nehemiah in the Bible is an ideal self-help book and instruction manual of how we can allow the Holy Spirit to assist in rebuilding our lives. Hayford has also stated, “The book of Nehemiah is a handbook on recovering what’s been lost by sin and is a picture of the hope that our restored relationship with God (like the rebuilt temple) can be matched by the restoration of two things: (1) Rulership and regaining self-control (represented by the restored gates), and (2) a reconstruction of our self-understanding and purpose (represented by the rebuilt walls).” Nehemiah worked together with his people, teaching them as he led them into their own freedom. Together, they worked to rebuild the city. As we work together with the Lord and others within Godly appointed relationships, He will take the broken ashes of our past and rebuild them for His glory.

“To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.” Isaiah 61:3.

As we are open, honest, and transparent with the Lord and others, not pretending to always have it all together, the construction process can begin as He rebuilds the broken parts of our soul, strengthens our weaknesses, and leads us into freedom. He turns the dust of our past into diamonds, makes beauty out of ashes, and turns slaves into princes and princesses. God is the Restorer and Redeemer of our lives. Just like Nehemiah partnered with his people, we must partner with the Holy Spirit to see the walls of the broken cities of our past cleaned up and rebuilt to be better than it was before. God doesn’t just restore lives, but rebuilds them. Like how a broken bone becomes stronger when healed, so the Lord restores and rebuilds the broken parts of our lives. As we call out to Him and allow Him to do a deep work in our lives, He will make all things new as He strengthens us. By His strength, we will soar higher than we ever imagined and fly, just like the drone, into our God given purpose and destiny.

WALKING IN GODLY CHARACTER

Secondly, we need to walk in Godly character in order to recover and rebuild our lives. We need a recovery of our self-control, personal identity, of stabilized temperament, and character. It means the fulfillment of Romans 5:17, “Those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.” Instead of dwelling in the rubble of the old city of Jerusalem, the people of that day learned to rule as they recovered their God given identity. The book of Nehemiah describes how their city walls had crumbled leaving their temple, a place of worship, unsecured. Without a strong wall around the city, the heart of worship (the temple) was in danger of being disturbed. They faced many obstacles as they worked diligently to rebuild the wall to protect their land. In those hard moments, they had a choice to listen to the voices of defeat or rise above the noise and walk in Godly character.

In chapter four of Nehemiah, it shows the harsh ridicule they had to endure and overcome in order to walk in their destiny with power. “‘What they are building—even a fox climbing up on it would break down their wall of stones!’ Hear us, our God, for we are despised. Turn their insults back on their own heads’” (Nehemiah 4:3-4). Because of their healthy response, by turning to the Lord, during their times of resistance and ridicule, they not only restored their city back to its glorious appearance, but also gained the confidence that with God by their side, they could do anything.

“Then the Jews who lived near them came and told us ten times over, ‘Wherever you turn, they will attack us.’” Nehemiah 4:12

Although their enemies were surrounding them, they did not back down or act out in anger. Because of their Godly attitude towards the resistance, through their trust in the Lord, and by their willingness to continue even when things looked impossible, they were able to complete the work God had called them to do. “After I looked things over, I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, ‘Don’t be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your families, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes.’ When our enemies heard that we were aware of their plot and that God had frustrated it, we all returned to the wall, each to our own work” (Nehemiah 4:14-15). Therefore, God fulfilled His Word, returned the Jews to their land, and helped them do the impossible. They were able to outsmart the enemies' attacks, push beyond the embarrassment of a broken past, and rise above it all to become mighty overcomers in the land. As Nehemiah rebuilt the city, he also increased in Godly character which enabled him to be able to walk in a higher calling and purpose. They learned what it means to ‘reign in life,’ and through their challenges, they grew stronger in the Lord.

GUARDING YOUR HEART

Although they were not perfect, and the nation of Israel had to pay for the consequences of their sinful actions, they did not allow their past mistakes or weaknesses to dominate or hold them back from their future. They remained focused on the promise of God even when their process felt long and hot. I encourage you to put your hope in the Lord and to guard your spirit man (our temples) at all cost.

“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” Proverbs 4:23

We need to build a firm foundation of God’s Word as a boundary line around our soul. In doing so, we will remain unshakable against the attacks of the enemy as God strengthens our weaknesses––renewing our minds daily. Our will, which is our soul, functions as the command center of our whole personality. What goes into our soul determines how we will feel each day. When we face resistance and ridicule as we continue on the path of rebuilding our lives, it is vital we remain focused on Jesus, react with Godly character, and not react to the enemy’s attack out of soulish desires. I encourage you to stand and launch a triumphant counterattack with Godly character and wisdom––turning to the Lord instead of reacting in the flesh. As Jack Hayford so famously says, “The next time the devil comes to remind you about your past, remind him about his future.”

Even though we each have character defects, with God’s help, we can resist them and not allow them to control our outcome. We must align our soul (mind, will, and emotions) with His as we keep our eyes on the prize even when our recovery seems long and hard. As we yield to the Spirit, we will have a deep knowing in our own spirit that God will not let us fall. He is our Helper, a Faithful Father, the Way Maker, and a Promise Keeper. From start to finish, He is by our side seeing from a different vantage point. He sees us whole and free. He no longer sees the before drone footage of our lives, but only the after––the completed restoration.

“The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.” Psalm 34:18

It is important to know that the Lord is extremely close to the brokenhearted as they recover. He removes the wreckage of their soul and soothes their crushed spirits. Redemption not only includes a reborn spirit but a restored soul––a recovery of all that’s been stolen in the past. Just like God restored the city walls and turned a mess into a message, so God promises to restore all that was stolen in our lives as we rest and trust in Him.

BEING THANKFUl

Lastly, it is important to have a thankful heart throughout the rebuilding and restoration process of our journey. Even in Nehemiah's distress he gave praise to the King of the world, for he knew the Lord could be trusted. “When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven. Then I said: ‘Lord, the God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments’” (Nehemiah 1:4-5). Although it says he sat down, wept, mourned, fasted, and prayed for a long time, he finally stood up and boldly proclaimed the goodness of God. He called Him “great “and “awesome” despite what he may have felt in the moment. Nehemiah recognized that God is the Creator of the world, but that He is also within earshot of a wounded heart. No matter what we face, God is close and hears every cry. Nehemiah rose above the pain, decided to trust the Lord, and allowed Him to direct his steps so that he could be used for God’s glory and bring restoration to his people. Nehemiah knew that, “The joy of the Lord is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10). As we rebuild our lives, like the restoration of the temple and walls of Jerusalem, we must rise above the pain and trust the Lord to be our strength along the journey to our restoration.

As the broken pieces of our past begin to make beautiful masterpieces, I encourage you to remember to give praise along the way as God reveals His plans for your life. God’s will is to bless our lives with hope and a joyful future. God’s nature is good, loving, and merciful. His heart toward us is to save, to heal, to rescue, to redeem, to restore, to provide, and to fulfill. As we look to the past to see how far we’ve come throughout history, we can give thanks for His wonderful working power in and through life’s ups and downs. We can stand in awe and wonder that the Lord rebuilds ruins into beautiful real estate, makes mansions out of shacks, and tabernacles out of tents. He is worthy to be praised no matter where we are in our restoration process.

Just as Nehemiah partnered with his people to bring wholeness to the land, so we can partner with the Holy Spirit to not only bring wholeness to our lives, but to many others as well. The Holy Spirit brings the whole life of Jesus into the whole of our beings so that the whole love of God can be shared with the whole world. As we are made whole, we are a living testimony for the world to see––a picture of God’s redemptive love. Just as Nehemiah never gave up as he pressed on toward the promise of God to restore all that was broken, stolen, and lost by the enemy, I encourage you to continue pressing on towards the goal the Lord sets before you and allow the Holy Spirit to be your guide. Without the help of the Holy Spirit, it is impossible to overcome. With the loving help, comfort, and guidance that the Holy Spirit provides, nothing shall be impossible. No situation is too big or small for our God. No matter what lies in the wake of broken pieces of our past, we can walk by faith and not sight towards God’s purpose for our lives as we allow Him to heal and restore all that was stolen.

“I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:14

“Not one promise from God is empty of power. Nothing is impossible with God!” Luke 1:37

We need to allow the Lord to heal our wounded past so we can soar, like the drone, into our future and fly high. He will not only rebuild our lives, but advance us forward into His purpose. Instead of running from brokenness, I encourage you to be like Nehemiah and face the obstacles as we say, “Send me, that I may rebuild” (Nehemiah 2:5). We need to partner with God and others, through Godly relationships, as we learn to yield to His loving process of transparency, cleansing, and rebuilding our lives to become stronger than before. Through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, focusing on Him, digging deep into His Word, maintaining a thankful heart, and continually being filled with the Holy Spirit, we can resist the devil and be restored daily as we take on His likeness and character. Although things may seem lifeless now, just like my son's drone in the story above, I declare life to spring forth and rise in your situation. What seems broken and as dead as a doornail shall come alive in your life and be restored in Jesus name.