This morning, while reading my daily Bible, in Nehemiah Chapter 3, where Nehemiah is faced with a seemingly impossible task-to rebuild the Walls of Jerusalem, my attention was GRABBED by the repetition of the 3 words: “next to them”, repeated 20 times in 32 verses!!! This repetition forced me to take note and look deeper into it’s meaning. And I wrote in the margin of my Bible: we need each other-as we walk together, working or rebuilding or desiring growth in the Lord; as we walk together, these things are accomplished.
My attention was particularly grabbed because 2 nights ago, I met with 2 sisters-in-the-Lord, and we sat "next to" each other, sharing our hearts, seeking prayer for some difficult issues, encouraging each other to persevere in the Lord.
I looked up the word combo, “next to”, in Hebrew. It’s the word Yad- do you remember, "The Divine Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood" (I didn’t see the movie, but the title immediately came to mind when I looked up “Next to” and found “Yad”!)
“Yad” means: hand and assistance: it’s used figuratively to symbolize power and strength.
In other words, when we work together, “next to” each other, we have a helping hand, power and strength and assistance that we would not have working alone. A Yada Yada sisterhood! Who doesn’t need that!
This really struck me, because often, when I am troubled or have an issue, I think I need to go it alone, be more mature about the situation, grit my teeth and trust God... and I don’t reach out. Nehemiah instructs me to do just the opposite, because, as the Jewish remnant worked together, “Yad-ed”, if you will, they were given power and strength-their mission was accomplished, the wall was rebuilt, and, the opposition defeated. And who doesn’t need more of that: a mission accomplished and the opposition defeated?!
Also to note, the words, “made repairs”, in the Hebrew, is the word, Hazaq-meaning to be strong, courageous, make firm. When we make repairs on our lives together, as sisters in Christ, we are given strength and courage! Two nights ago, my sisters definitely infused strength and courage into me.
This so encouraged my heart and soul and mind this morning. As God instructs us to work next to one another to make repairs in our lives, HE is at work to quell the opposition and make us shine for HIM.
Today, won’t you gather a Yada sisterhood of 2 or 3, and work next to each other to shine for Jesus!