A Mind to Work

Nehemiah 4:1-6 

But it came to pass, that when Sanballat heard that we builded the wall, he was wroth, and took great indignation, and mocked the Jews. And he spake before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, What do these feeble Jews? will they fortify themselves? will they sacrifice? will they make an end in a day? will they revive the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish which are burned? Now Tobiah the Ammonite was by him, and he said, Even that which they build, if a fox go up, he shall even break down their stone wall. Hear, O our God; for we are despised: and turn their reproach upon their own head, and give them for a prey in the land of captivity:  And cover not their iniquity, and let not their sin be blotted out from before thee: for they have provoked thee to anger before the builders. So built we the wall; and all the wall was joined together unto the half thereof: for the people had a mind to work.

Israel's enemies do not like that they are rebuilding the wall. Since they can not take legal or physical action against the Israelites (remember, they have the King's blessing), their enemies turn to mockery. They make fun of them and try to embarrass them to make them back down.

In response to this, Nehemiah does what we would be wise to do--turn to God.

He does not respond back to his enemies.

He does not seek revenge.

Instead, he turns to God and leaves it in God's hand because he realizes that they are against God, not the Israelites.

Once he gave it over to God, Nehemiah and the people of Israel went back to work on the wall and were successful. They had a mind to work and did what they were told to do and let God deal with everything else.

What an encouragement this is to how we should live our lives!