Today’s Scripture: 1 Corinthians 3:9

“For we are God’s fellow workers.”

Nehemiah understood well the principle that we’re both dependent and responsible. In rebuilding the wall around Jerusalem, he faced great opposition from certain enemies of the Jews. When the Jews had rebuilt the wall to half its height, these enemies “all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and to cause confusion in it. And we prayed to our God and set a guard as a protection against them day and night” (Nehemiah 4:8-9).

Note Nehemiah’s response to the threatened attack. His people prayed and posted a guard. He recognized his dependence on God, but he also accepted his responsibility to work—to stand guard.

Today, we would tend to divide into two camps. The more “spiritual” people would call an all-night prayer meeting. To them, posting a guard would be depending on human effort instead of God. The “practical” ones among us would do a fine job organizing the guard and assigning everyone to various watches, but they would be too busy to pray.

Nehemiah and his people did both. They recognized their dependence on God, but they also understood they were depending on him to enable and help them, not to do their work for them.

There are instances in the Old Testament where God miraculously intervened and actually fought the battle for Israel (such as 2 Chronicles 20). But these are the exception, not the rule. However—and this is an important statement—there is not a single instance in New Testament teaching on holiness where we are taught to depend on the Holy Spirit without a corresponding exercise of discipline on our part. (Excerpt taken from The Discipline of Grace)

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