Today's passage is Nehemiah 6:1-14. The wall is rebuilt with only the gates remaining to be put in place. Sanballat, Tobiah and Gesham and the other enemies invite Nehemiah to a trap at Ono.
When he doesn't come they send an open letter accusing him of trying to become king of Judah. Then one of the Jews tells Nehemiah to hide in the temple because men are coming to kill him. Nehemiah asks God to strengthen him for the work and to punish his enemies.
By his grace and through his help, I am building the wall of my life with God. The doors of all the gates aren't on, so it's not complete. But the main door of Jesus, through whom I entered the kingdom, is standing strong. There is no gap of worship, prayer, QT, service and tithes. The wall is there for all to see.
But because there is a wall, I am attacked by temptations of fear and desire.
A grade one boy called me king of the school, a perception that many of my Arabic students have.
When I described to someone here in the States what I do at my school--head of school, principal of three divisions, and curriculum director--they said I had a lot of power.
Which I abused recently and had weeks of repentance and repair to make.
Sanblatt and the other enemies are mostly in me, intimidating me with the fear of being inadequate to my job.
They remind me of my failures as a father to intimidate me over my relationship with my students.
Shemaiah is in me too, tempting me to run away, to hide because my trust in the Lord is not enough. At my school's high school graduation, Dr. Cha(차승균초원님) gave the convocation address.
He talked about fears to the graduating students and chasing worldly things for happiness.
He talked about the emptiness in life until Jesus called him.
Afterwards I received some complaints because the message was too Christian and it should be secular in order to accommodate all the religions of my students.
Having a wall makes me visible to myself and others. It invites attack and it invites the temptation to go to Ono to negotiate with my enemies of the world.
Today is my last day with my daughter Tess.
I have shared some of my story with her.
I showed her where I used to live and told her how I used to be.
I have just today to show her more of my wall and share more of Jesus with her.
I have bought her important items for her summer camp.
Today I will share a little more of how Jesus bought me important things.
