Editor’s note: As Loma Linda University Health begins a massive construction project to build the new adult and children’s hospital towers, the chaplains invite members of the campus to pray and fast each Tuesday, asking for God’s guidance and wisdom as we continue to grow. Below is a devotional based on the biblical book of Nehemiah, in which Nehemiah faced a massive building project of his own.
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FEAR. Media is full of it — locally, nationally, internationally. Fear invades every aspect of our existence. We fear for our jobs and finances. We fear violence in the streets and road rage on our highways. We fear diseases and disasters. We fear for the lives and directions of our children and loved ones. We fear for our own hearts and lives. And from our human perspective, we fear for good reasons. How do we face and overcome the hardship and woes that we constantly face in life? It is above and beyond our resources and capabilities.
That is exactly where our problem lies. We are looking to ourselves. We are looking to what we can do or whom we know or what we can control. And we fall short. The “enemy” looms great and mighty and dark and overwhelming. The words of Nehemiah in the Bible — though spoken so long ago — speak loud and true to us, today:
“Don’t be afraid of the enemy! Remember the Lord, who is great and glorious, and fight for your friends, your families and your homes!” –Nehemiah 4:14
Nehemiah is telling us that there are two things we need to do. The first is remember the Lord. Our problem is one of perspective and focus. Don’t focus on yourself and your capabilities. Focus on the Lord! Don’t count on your limited resources. Focus on the Lord who owns heaven and earth! If He is for us, then there is nothing that can stand in our way or overcome us.
Did you notice that there is more for us to do than just call out to God? There is more for us to do than just remember His power and His promises. We are called to act on our beliefs. Nehemiah tells us to roll up our sleeves and lean into the problems and difficulties we encounter. He tells us to fight for the people in our lives that matter most to us — the people in our homes and the people we work with and for every day.
It matters not what you are facing this day. Remember that God is with you and He loves you. Remember that there is NOTHING we face that — through Him and with Him — we can’t overcome and be victorious. Nothing.
Terry Swenson, DMin
Campus chaplain
Loma Linda University