Nehemiah 4:18
Every one of the builders had his sword girded at his side as he built. And the one who sounded the trumpet was beside me.

Have you ever ended up someplace without your PDA or your cell phone…or something you really needed to conduct your business for the day? Worse yet, have you ever left town without something you really needed for your trip? One of the things I have forgotten, more than once, is a charger for my cell phone. Inevitably when that happens I am off to Office Depot or Radio Shack to buy another one. In some cases I might be somewhere where I can't buy one and I just have to do without. Nehemiah was the man whom God used to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem. It was a monumental task which was accomplished in a remarkable fifty two days. God was with Nehemiah and the people and when God is for us…there is no one who can be against us…no one who can stop what God wants to do. Nehemiah tells us a number of reasons that added to the success of their accomplishment to complete the wall. One was that they had a mind to work and the other is that they were ready for any opposition that might try and hinder their process. Hence, every one of the builders had his sword girded at his side…as he built. The Bible tells us that the word of God is our sword (Ephesians 6:17 & Hebrews 4:12) and yet how many times do we leave home without our sword and just figure, "Oh well I won't need it today."…or, worse yet, never even realize we left it. God's word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our paths and sweeter than honey to our mouths, Psalm 119:103 & 105. It is no wonder we find ourselves directionless and grumbling about the variety of stresses throughout our day…we left our swords at home! Without God's word to lead and direct our lives, we will be left to try and figure out things on our own…which always leads to problems. We would never think of going into a battle without our swords strapped to our sides. And so it is with God's word…we cannot expect to win the spiritual battles we face on a daily basis without the sword of the spirit firmly fixed to our sides.

Father, help us to remember to take your word with us…wherever we go. Give us a hunger for it, knowing that it is a safeguard for our lives. May it never leave our sides and, by the Holy Spirit, may we grow to be master swordsmen who know how to use it to deal with all of the obstacles we face. May it become such a part of our lives that we feel naked without it. In Jesus' name…the Word…we pray, Amen.

May God richly bless your week as you discover the abundance of God's grace and mercy through the Word. May His word direct you and keep in that place of knowing and loving Jesus more than ever…and may you experience the value of becoming men and women of the Word.