When It’s Half Done - Moments of Hope Devotional

When It’s Half Done
by David Chadwick

The biblical writer Nehemiah had a dream. He was held captive in Babylon. But God had given him a vision to return to Jerusalem and rebuild its walls.

The city was pregnable. Without the walls, any marauding horde could easily enter and conquer the residents.

Nehemiah went to the Persian king, Artaxerxes, to receive permission to accomplish his dream. It was granted. He began his journey.

Upon his arrival in Jerusalem, Nehemiah probed the rubble of the destroyed walls. He then arrived at his strategy. He called the people together and motivated them to begin the work.

Something interesting happened as construction began on the wall. Enemies constantly harassed the workers. Eventually the people became tired, frustrated, intimidated, and afraid. The work stopped. No one wanted to continue.

When did this happen? When the wall was halfway completed (Nehemiah 4:6).

When I played college basketball, before the season began, the coach required the players to be able to run a preseason mile in under six minutes. Four laps around the track equaled a mile. Do you know which lap was the most grueling? The third one. Why? We were halfway to the goal, but still had two more laps to go.

It’s true in life as well. When working on a task, the halfway point tempts you to give up.

But you mustn’t. Nehemiah motivated the Jews to recommence the task. They did, and the wall was soon completed.

To be forewarned is to be prepared.

Beware of the danger of the halfway point. You look ahead and realize that you’ve accomplished much. But there’s still much to do. You are tempted to quit.

But don’t give up. Stay focused. Continue to build.

The end of the task is closer than you think.