Stone By Stone
This past week, a portion of the Book of Nehemiah captivated me, and I have to share it. Nehemiah has come to Jerusalem after hearing of its desperate state, and in Nehemiah 3, the citizens have begun rebuilding the wall.
“Shallun son of Col-hozeh, ruler of the district of Mizpah, repaired the Fountain Gate. He rebuilt it and roofed it. Then he installed its doors, bolts, and bars. He also made repairs to the wall of the Pool of Shelah near the king’s garden, as far as the stairs that descend from the city of David” (Nehemiah 3:15 CSB).
My Bible has one-page devotionals woven throughout the pages. Sometimes I read them, and sometimes I don’t. Something drew me to this particular devotional following Nehemiah 3, titled: You and Your Wall. The author suggests it may be easy to read past this portion of Nehemiah far too quickly. There are numerous names, tasks, and locations listed here, but if we take a closer look, we gain more context.
The Pool of Shelah is also known as the Pool of Siloam. It was built during the rule of King Hezekiah and was considered an engineering masterpiece as the infrastructure ensured the Israelites would always have access to fresh water, their only source of fresh water, in case the city was besieged. The Pool of Siloam was later destroyed by the Babylonians and rebuilt in the book of Nehemiah seventy years later.
In the time of Christ, the Pool of Siloam was a significant place in Jerusalem. It was here, in John 9, that Jesus met a man who had been blind from birth and sent him to wash in the pool. Through this encounter, a miracle took place. “After he said these things he spit on the ground, made some mud from the saliva, and spread the mud on his eyes. ‘Go,’ he told him, ‘wash in the pool of Siloam’ (which means ‘Sent’). So he left, washed, and came back seeing” (John 9:6-7 CSB).
Where Nehemiah and the others once faithfully joined God in working to rebuild the wall is where a miracle took place years later. Shallun could only see the rubble and work right in front of him, yet he continued to do the work and repair it. I wonder if Shallun ever considered the work mundane as he laid stone by stone.
But God doesn’t think like we do, His ways are much higher.
The pool Shallun diligently worked to rebuild was used by kings, priests, and Jesus. God saw what Shallun never could: that this very place Shallun was rebuilding would one day be the place Jesus performed a miracle and healed a blind man.
How often do we look at the work in front of us and consider it mundane? I certainly have. The never-ending piles of laundry. Another load of dishes. The simple dinner going into the oven.
But our sight is limited. These laundry piles clothe my family. The clean dishes create order and help me serve healthy meals. The familiar, homemade dinner nourishes my family’s bodies and souls. These daily acts, even if seemingly mundane, are holy work and build a strong foundation.
The work we do today is important for days we may never see. God is so kind to include us in this good work and in His eternal plans.
Nehemiah 3:15 can be easily glossed over with its list of names and tasks, but it sincerely stirred my soul and reoriented my thoughts about my daily work. I’m grateful God’s ways are higher than mine, that He can see what I can’t. We can trust that the work He puts in front of us matters, and our attitude can be one of gratitude that glorifies Him always.
