Nehemiah - How One Man Made A Difference - Part 4

Chapter 4 of Nehemiah begins with opposition. The opposition in this case were greatly incensed that progress was being made on the rebuilding of the wall.

Here's are some truths I learned from reading this chapter that can apply to our lives today.

1. Success should expect opposition.

When we are doing God's work, you can bet Satan will be incensed at any progress we make. We should expect then that Satan and his hosts will oppose, ridicule, and prey on our fears and inadequacies in every attempt to get us sidetracked or to stop altogether. He will do anything to prevent us from being successful and furthering God's Kingdom. It should be of no surprise to us when we sense these things beginning to happen nor of where they come from and why. So, what are you to do about it?

2. Appeal to God for protection and judgement

Nehemiah didn't waste time fighting the battles with the opposition himself. He prayed to God for help and for judgement on those working against him. He trusted God to remove the obstacles and do what was necessary to keep them moving forward. He stayed focused on the task and kept the people focused as well, allowing God to handle the big stuff. This is a very important point. Let God! Don't try to fight all the battles yourself. God is bigger and better at doing that then we are. When we stop to fight against Satan, we stop working on our task, and Satan is more than happy to engage in battle with us because it keeps us distracted from doing the work of God. It is better to let God handle the battle with Satan because he is capable of winning and we are not.

3. Take counter action

Nehemiah prayed but he also did something to counter the attacks. He didn't ignore that there was a problem or potential problems. He took inventory of what was happening and then implemented counter plans to head off trouble. He was aware and prepared. He didn't hide his head in the sand and just pray for God to remove the obstacles and sit and wait for that to happen. They kept moving forward but with a knowledge and preparedness for what might occur.

4. Don't give into Fear

The people were working very hard and were becoming exhausted. Exhaustion limited their coping and internal resolve and fear set in. Fear can have a very crippling effect. It can cause inaction, freezing you, and preventing you from going on. Fear in this case had the power to stop this project all together. Nehemiah had to recognize what was happening and counter this problem as well. If he would have ignored what was happening within the spirit of the people, the project would have died. He would have lost the peoples ability to continue on. However, he took inventory of the collective spirit of the people and took it seriously. By acknowledging it he was able to counter the direction they were headed and turn them around. How did he do this?

5. Remember who God is
Nehemiah 4:14 After I looked things over, I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, "Don't be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your bothers, your sons and your daughters, your wives and you homes."

REMEMBER the things God has already done for you and KNOW that he will do them again. Be strong in the Lord and trust in him.

6. Adjust when necessary

Nehemiah now had to change the work load to help counter the attacks. Again, he didn't just sit and wait for God to stop the opposition they continue on but with an adjusted plan. Half the people worked and the other help served as armed guards. The worked slowed down but it did not stop. The people doing the work felt more secure knowing they were protected.

7. Stay connected as a unit.

Nehemiah 4:19-20 Then I said to the nobles, the officials, and the rest of the people, "The work is extensive and spread out, and we are widely separated from each other along the wall. Whenever you hear the sound of the trumpet, join us there. Our God will fight for us."

Nehemiah got the group together from time to time probably to keep them cohesive, understand the issues they were facing, keep their spirits up, review progress being made, etc. It's important to keep the whole end goal in mind. In life we sometimes think only about our little portion of work and neglect to understand how it fits into the big picture. It's important to not let our little section become more important than the whole. Sometimes we have to sacrifice our part in order to help someone else be successful in their part so the overall project and people are successful. I;m finding this is a key concept in mothering.

8. Work Hard to the End
Just because they had to adjust and make half the men guards didn't mean they slowed down. They just worked harder and longer. They didn't adjust the timeline for completion because of a few obstacles. They buckled down and kept the urgency in tack.

9. Stay alert for trouble

The men understood the plans of the opposition and were alert and diligently watched for the attacks and were prepared! If we know the enemy is coming we should be always watching for him to arrive and be preparing and ready when he comes. Don't be taken off guard and unprepared. This is why being in the Word on a daily basis is so important. It prepares us for battle.

10. All are to be both watchmen and workers

Too often we think of ourselves as workers and that it is not our duty to be watchmen too. Or, we view ourselves has watchmen and we don't empower the workers to to help identify threats. By pigeonholing the people into specific categories you create a weakness that can be penetrated. By expecting each to do both you are more fortified, quicker to identify threats and problems, and quicker to respond to danger. To be successful we all need to be both working and watching out for the best interest of the project.

Finally, here are a few thought provoking follow up questions for you to consider.

1. Where are you letting fear or inadequacy prevent you from starting or finishing a project (especially one God had called you to)?

2. Are you able to identify the threats/dangers and counteract them? Do you turn them over to God and at the same time stay prepared and focused, not giving up or slowing down?

3. How might you apply these principals in your daily life (Work, Family, Church, Community)?


Lord, Thank you for giving us such rich wisdom and Godly examples in your Word so that we may learn to live a Godly life centered on you. Amen