Built and Guarded
How’s it goin’, friend? You come right on up here on this ol’ front porch and settle yourself right down. Well, land sakes alive, look at you comin’ up the pathway like you’ve got somethin’ important on your mind. If you could smell them hot biscuits coolin’ on the windowsill or hear that cranky ol’ woodpecker fussin’ at a possum that keeps stealin’ berries off the vine, you’d know you’ve walked right into the perfect place to rest your spirit. Now let’s chew on a truth that’s as steady as an ol’ mountain mule ploddin’ along a rocky ridge. Nehemiah 4:17 tells us, “Every builder on that wall worked with a trowel in one hand and a weapon in the other.” And tucked right beside it is Psalm 144:1, which says, “Blessed be the Lord my Rock, who trains my hands for war and my fingers for battle.” These two verses plum fit together real good like two creek minnows swimmin’ in the same sunlit ripple.
Now, friend, them workers on Jerusalem’s wall weren’t just buildin’. They were plum defendin’ what they built. One hand laid stones, steady and faithful, while the other hand held a sword, ready for whatever critter or enemy tried to stir up trouble. Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 3:10 that we’re builders, too. The Lord’s given us a firm foundation, and we’re supposed to build on it with care, wisdom, and grit. But just like them wall builders, we’ve got enemies lurkin’ around. Some of ’em sneak around real quiet like an ol’ hungry fox slippin’ through the henhouse. Others stomp loud like a big ol’ bull elk crashin’ through the brush. Either way, we’ve gotta be ready.
Some folks only know how to fight. They swing their sword so much that nothin’ ever gets built. Others only know how to build. They stack stones real pretty, but never guard what they’ve made, and the enemy tears it down quicker than a lil’ ol’ raccoon overturnin’ a trash can. The Lord calls us to do both of them things. Build with one hand. Defend with the other. Jesus Himself showed us how to do it. He used the trowel when He knelt beside that woman caught in adultery and said, “Neither do I condemn you.” Then He used the sword when He cleansed the temple and rebuked the Pharisees. Gentle and strong. Tender and bold. The church downright needs both of em’. And, friend, so do we.
Father, teach us to build with wisdom and defend with courage. Help us know when to be gentle and when to stand firm. Strengthen our hands for the work and steady our hearts for the battle. Keep us faithful, balanced, and bold as we follow You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Alright now, friend, as you move on from this place and into the doin’s of your day, carry this truth like a sturdy ol’ lantern that plum refuses to flicker even when the wind kicks up. Build your faith with the steady determination of a lil’ ol’ beaver stackin’ logs for its dam. Protect what God’s given you with the grit of an ol’ barn cat guardin’ its territory. And walk forward knowin’ the Lord’s trained your hands for both the trowel and the sword, shapin’ you with more skill than a master craftsman turnin’ a crooked branch into somethin’ mighty useful.
With joy,
Gwen
