zealously

Thursday mornings I go to Bible study.  It is such an encouraging time of sharing God's Word, sharing our lives together, and praying for one another.  We are studying Nehemiah right now.  Chapter 3 of Nehemiah lists the names of the people who worked to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem and describes the work each of them was responsible for.  In the middle of the chapter is this verse:

v 20  Next to him, Baruch son of Zabbai zealously repaired another section, from the angle to the entrance of the house of Eliashib the high priest.

The word "zealously" just jumped out at me.  I read through the chapter again and as far as I can tell, Baruch is the only one who is described that way.  Zealously.  This rebuilding was hard work.  And they were opposed in their efforts so that chapter 4 describes them as holding a weapon in one hand while they worked with the other.  But Baruch worked zealously. 

That's how I want to live my life.  Enthusiastically, eager, fervent, intense, passionate.  Zealously.  Because I live my life in the name of Jesus, unto the glory of GOD.  I'm signing off, because I'm going to go zealously make some pancakes for my boys.