April 07: RALLYING TO ENCOURAGE

and each of the builders wore his sword at his side as he worked. But the man who sounded the trumpet stayed with me. Then I said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, "The work is extensive and spread out, and we are widely separated from each other along the wall. Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, join us there. Our God will fight for us!" (Nehemiah 4:18-20 NIV)

One of the reasons Israel was called by the trumpet was to congregate them for some aspect of serving one another as they served their Lord. For the people who returned with Nehemiah, it was a signal they needed to pause their building of the walls long enough to assist a neighboring group who were being threatened by the enemy.

This is why they were instructed to carry a weapon in one hand and a tool in the other. There would not be time enough to go home and grab a weapon. By the time they did so, the battle would be over. That reminds us of Jesus’ example of the five foolish virgins and five wise ones. There was no time for them to go purchase oil for their lamps. They must be ready when the trumpet sounded.

Furthermore, we cannot afford to allow one another to be vulnerable to the enemy. When we see a brother or sister in jeopardy, we must come to their rescue. This is the one of the greatest sources of our strength in facing our enemy.

The Duke of Wellington, the British military leader who defeated Napoleon at Waterloo, was not an easy man to serve under. He was brilliant, demanding, and not one to shower his subordinates with compliments. Yet even Wellington realized that his methods left something to be desired. In his old age a young lady asked him what, if anything, he would do differently if he had his life to live over again. Wellington thought for a moment, then replied. "I'd give more praise," he said. —Bits & Pieces, March 31, 1994, p. 24.

Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. (Hebrews 10:25 NIV)

 

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