August 12 - Workers and Warriors
There are two major tasks for the servants of God: to build up the people of God and to fend off the attacks of the enemy. We are not only workers or warriors, we are both at the same time. When we build up the Kingdom of God, the enemy will come to attack and to destroy. He is not going to stand there and watch the growth of the church or God’s people. In the account of Nehemiah, we are taught a spiritual truth: God’s servants are both workers and warriors.
For the rebuilding of the wall of Jerusalem, there were many disruptions and attacks aimed at intimidating the people of God from building up the city of God. Plan after plan were devised against the Israelites but God frustrated the plans of the enemies. Although the work was temporarily suspended, they eventually returned to the wall and started working. Half of the servants worked on construction and the other half held the spears, shields, bows and coats of mail. Even the builders worked with one hand and held his weapon with the other. What a picture of the reality of warfare. We are not to stop working just because there are attacks from the enemy but we are to carry on the work that the Lord has given to us while fending off enemy attacks. The enemy would never attack us if we were not doing God’s bidding, he only comes when we are.
David was a warrior-king, he did the work of the Lord while defeating the enemies of God. He built up his kingdom for God’s glory and extended God’s rule to other nations so that one day, all the nations might worship before the Lord and glorify His name. Even as he asked God to teach His way to him and gave thanks to the Lord, he was mindful of the realities of enemy attacks. Insolent men had risen up against him, a band of ruthless men sought his life and those were godless people. So David asked for a sign of God’s favor so that those who hated him might see and be put to shame.
Christians are like kings on earth, pushing God’s Kingdom agenda all over the place, even to the ends of the earth. While we are doing Kingdom building, the enemy is doing the opposite: Kingdom destruction. For every revival in the history of Christendom, the work of darkness would always creep in and take away the revival. Just concentrating on revival and Kingdom growth with no understanding of spiritual warfare would often bring Kingdom work to a halt. Many well-intentioned missionaries have gone overseas to serve the Lord only to find that they are under severe attacks on their health, relationships and finances. Some have even succumbed to sexual immorality and others have even lost their lives. Are you both a worker and a warrior? Are you engaged in Kingdom building and at the same time fighting the enemy? Be a worker-warrior now.
Ps 86:8-17 Neh 3:15-5:13 1 Cor 7:25-40 Prov 21:5-7