Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Confidence – Nehemiah 6:16 – Lost Their Self-Confidence – Growing As Disciples
When all our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and lost their self-confidence, because they realized that this work had been done with the help of our God. Nehemiah 6:16 (NIV)
Impossible Work
Well, this is impossible. It can’t be done. There is no way, no how. This is so far beyond me. What’s that? This work that you have given me to do for you. How in the world did you expect that I would ever be able to accomplish this work? I couldn’t accomplish this work in a hundred lifetimes. That may be an exaggeration. But, I only have one lifetime and I certainly can’t accomplish this in it. You’re getting a little worked up about this. Are you expecting that I will disagree with you? You don’t disagree with me? No, I completely agree with you. Are you telling me that you have deliberately given me work to do that I cannot possibly accomplish? That’s exactly what I’m telling you. Why would you do that? That seems a little unfair to me. Are you telling me that you only want me to give you work that is easy to accomplish? Do you only want work that you can accomplish with your own gifts, talents and abilities? Those are interesting questions. No, I don’t want to be given only easy work to do. No, I don’t want to be given work that is only within my gifts, talents and abilities. I’m glad to hear that from you.
Do you know why I give you work that you can’t possibly accomplish by yourself? I’m not sure. When you accomplish a job with your own gifts, talents and abilities who gets all the credit? I guess I do. That’s right. When I help you to do something that you can’t possible do who gets all the credit? You get all the credit. You get the praise and the glory because both I and everyone else knows that it is you who has accomplished a great thing in and through me. You have allowed my life to be a witness for you in the world. Do you like knowing that I have worked in and through you? Do you want to know that I have made you able to bear an abundance of fruit for my kingdom and glory? Do you like it when your life serves as a witness for me in the world? Yes, I like knowing that you are working in and through my life. Yes, I like knowing that you are making me able to bear an abundance of fruit for your kingdom and glory. Yes, I definitely want my life to serve as a witness in the world for you. Is it fair then that I give assignments that are far beyond your ability to accomplish them without my help? Yes, it is. That’s good. That is what I will keep on doing.
Lord, this will sound crazy. I would like you to give me work that I can’t accomplish without your help. I would like to learn how to rely on you more completely. I would like others to see you by the work you do in and through me. Amen
Key Question… Why does God lead you into work that you can’t accomplish without His help?
Living It Out… Ask the Lord to give you work to do that you can’t accomplish without His help.
Seeing It Happen… Have faith that the Lord will give you work to do that you can’t accomplish without His help.
Get Ready To Share… Share with another person or your small group how the Lord has accomplished His work in or through you.
Prayer To Bless Others… May you have confidence in God to help you accomplish the work He has given you to do for Him.
For today’s complete 4 page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide click here:
Confidence – Nehemiah-6-16 – Lost Their Self-Confidence – 4 Page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide
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