Opposition, Prayer and Determination

Walls: What comes to mind when the word "wall" is mentioned? The Great Wall of China, the Vietnam Memorial Wall (which was in Griffin recently and very moving), a wall of water, a wall of silence, a brick wall? Perhaps you think of a wall for security, or a wall to separate you from something, or a wall to set up a boundary or to keep something in - like cattle or horses. In these chapters we see Nehemiah leading and joining the people of Judah in the work of rebuilding the wall around Jerusalem.
Opposition: Sanballat and Tobiah were in a great rage when they heard that the walls were being rebuilt, and they did everything they could to ridicule and taunt the Jews, their efforts, and their work. As their leader, what was Nehemiah's response? Prayer, preparation, and planning.
Prayer: First line of defense - he prayed to God. He reminded the people to remember the Lord your God who is great and awesome. What were these mere men in comparison to their great God? God would stand for them and "fight their battles" as He will for us. How often do we make prayer our last line of defense instead of our first?
Determination: The people set their minds and hearts to do the work. They worked with all their heart, and they worked together at the task at hand. They didn't whine. They didn't give up or give out. They didn't quit because of ridicule or because it was difficult. With a shovel in one hand and a sword in the other, they kept on keeping on. What a lesson for us in our daily lives and in the life of our church. We must be determined to keep the faith and keep working for the Lord, doing whatever we know He has called us to and what is right. Perseverance - (here is Natalie's word again)!

With the walls near completion, let's try one final intimidation tactic said their enemies. They sent invitations to Nehemiah to try and pull him away from the work. They started rumors that Nehemiah was planning to become "king" of Judah, and then they tried to scare him with talk of an assassination. Nehemiah saw these plots for what they were, ignored them, and again prayed to God. Others said it "couldn't be done." The task was too difficult and too hard, but because of Nehemiah's faithfulness and God's protection and help, the people of Israel completed the wall - and in record time - 52 days! What an accomplishment.
Now, back to the word wall. Do we need boundaries and walls in our lives? I believe so. We need protection from Satan's attacks, which can take many forms: worldly views, distractions, temptations, ridicule, rejection, some forms of entertainment on TV and the Internet. We need God's protective wall around us, around our children, and our churches. We need to insulate ourselves from Satan's flaming darts. What do we do and how do we build these walls? Prayer can be that wall. Reading and memorizing God's word can be that wall. Christian friends who hold us accountable can be that wall. Our church family can be that wall. God Is Our Wall.

In Psalm 71, David prayed, O Lord, be my rock of refuge to which I can always go . . . for you are my rock and my fortress. And in Psalm 18:2 - the Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer, my God is my rock in whom I take refuge. Oh Lord, let this be our constant reminder and prayer as well.