Restore Rebuild Revive - Week Two : 02 Feb 2011

I was recently drawn to some ducks in Disneyland. What would it be like to be a duck in The Magic Kingdom? The water is always clear, at a wonderful temperature and there is never a dry season. Plant life is perfectly manicured to create perfect spaces of rest in the shade. There is continual music in the air, constantly lifting your little duck spirit. Human beings are in a perpetually happy mood…. except those under 3 feet of height during the hours of 1-4. Food is always drifting your way-popcorn, churros, pretzels and even an occasional chimichanga. You are never bored for you can waddle your way from Frontierland, to Adventure land, from Fantasyland to Tomorrowland, and back again. And each day ends with predictable hours of quiet rest before the next perfectly sunny day begins. No concept of what it really means to be a duck in THIS world.

My giggling turned serious when I realized that this is how I am often tempted to view Christianity. Many of us, like me, came into the church because “God loves us and has a wonderful plan for our lives.” Although this is based in truth, our western mindset defines “wonderful plan” to mean that entering the family of God is like entering the magic Kingdom, where “a happy day was had by all”. We expect the water to be clear, the food to be tasty and entertainment varied, like ducks in Disneyland. In the areas of our life where we admittedly see distance, damage and dryness, we want restoration to just float our way like a piece of popcorn. We want rebuilding to happen in an atmosphere of music and with all onlookers to be happy. We want revival to happen while we rest in shade on a sunny day.

But we are not ducks in Disneyland. We are children of the God of Heaven, once lost and brought back to God through His Son’s blood shed on the Cross. As His covenant children, we have entered into a process of restoration, rebuilding and revival intended to invade this earthly Kingdom –to greatly impact this kingdom.

In Nehemiah 2 we see this reality played out. Where the rebuilding of a wall represents the restoration, rebuilding and eventual revival of God’s community for His glory on earth. The Israelites cannot afford to act like ducks in Disneyland. God is calling them to an intensely spiritual work where supplies are not going to just float their way, where onlookers are not going to be happy, where they are going to sweat. It is an intensely spiritual thing-evidencing the glory of God--it is going to met with all kinds of opposition.

G. McConville, “Underlying the action in this chapter… is a conflict between good and evil. Everything that serves the interests of the returned exiles—the king’s decision, the rebuilding of the walls—is good; all that tends towards, or is the product of, their loss—the broken walls, Nehemiah’s grief, the aspirations of Sanballat, Tobia, and Geshem—is evil. The clear implication of verse 10 is that the opposition to Judah from these powerful leaders is a spiritual thing.”

In our lives, this is being played out also. Our restoration, rebuilding and revival is a spiritual thing. To reveal His glory in this earthly kingdom we will have to let go our desire to be ducks in Disneyland. We have to walk out of the perfectly painted, rust-free gates without “getting our hand stamped”. We will have to face opposition –pain, problems and persecution.