by Holly Newton

A Journey To Easter: Rhythms Of Restoration

Read Nehemiah 3, Ephesians 4:16

 Do you ever wonder if what you are doing is needed or if you have something to offer? Do you ever wonder if taking the daily steps or doing the next right thing, no matter how average or mundane it may be, really matters?

There is good news for you…

Nehemiah 3 would be easy to skim past with an endless list of names, along with the descriptions of where the people were placed at the wall to rebuild. But did you know there’s important light to be shed in this chapter? Do you know the name Shallum? Probably not. In Nehemiah 3:15 we read about him and how he made repairs to the wall of the Pool of Shelah near the king’s garden. Doesn’t seem like a big deal, right? Actually though, it’s a huge deal. Shallum offered his time and effort to rebuild his community, but there’s so much more to the story.

In John 9:1-12 we read about Jesus healing a man who was born blind. This took place at a pool then called Siloam – the same pool that Shallum repaired. Jesus stood at the very pool where Shallum worked with his hands to rebuild the walls, and He gave sight to a blind man. I imagine Shallum had no idea when he was mundanely laying each stone at that very spot that all those years later a miraculous moment with Jesus would take place.

Do you see it? We don’t see what’s ahead. Only God does. You have no idea how your obedience today is making way for God to move – on someone’s behalf and even on your own behalf.

In the third chapter of Nehemiah we see that everyone was needed. Everyone went to work side by side. Each was given a portion of wall to rebuild, restore, and repair. And each one’s place was different with different lengths.

We can get so caught up in the normalcy of our days, and even comparison with others, that we miss the significance of how God can work and move through our hands. Think about you and your wall. What section of the wall does God have you tending to today? The section and season where you stand right now is important to the building of the Kingdom. And what if it’s setting the scene for miracles and eternity-impacting work for generations who will come behind you? Let go of the temptation to think what you’re doing right now is not significant.

God notices what you do and He values you. Over 2,000 years later we’re still reading about what the people of God did as they rebuilt the wall and their names are listed.

Whether it looks like you’re winning today or not, simply trust God is faithfully working out His plan and He has not lost you in the process.

From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. Ephesians 4:16

Holly Newton is a passionate leader encouraging others to study scripture, ask the hard questions, and learn to hear God’s voice to more fully live in freedom and purpose. She is the Founder of She Lives Fearless, Author of Exhale; 90 Devotions and Savor The Wonder: Behold Jesus. She is a speaker, radio and tv segment speaker, and the She Lives Fearless Podcast host. Holly and her husband, Mark, have been married 31 years. They have three grown children, seven grandchildren and live with their much-loved yorkie, Lily, in the Orlando area. She loves to connect through email (subscribe to this site) and on Instagram @hollyanewton