“But it came to pass, that when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites, heard that the walls of Jerusalem were made up, and that the breaches began to be stopped, then they were very wroth, And conspired all of them together to come and to fight against Jerusalem, and to hinder it.” Nehemiah 4:7-8.

We can always expect opposition when we seek to accomplish work for the up building of God’s kingdom. The book of Nehemiah gives us several accounts of the enemy’s strategic plans to stop the building of the wall in Jerusalem. God used Nehemiah to guide Judah in rebuilding the city’s walls and in reordering the people’s social and economic lives.

Nehemiah faced derision and the threats of attack from Judah’s neighbors; and even found injustices in Judah that delayed the work. The stone in Judah is a soft limestone, when fired, all moisture evaporates and even massive stones crumble into dust. The very idea that Nehemiah might bring these stones back to life from those heaps of rubble amused the surrounding peoples; the enemy left one thing out of the equation…God! “And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.” Mark 10:27.

They openly ridiculed the Jews and joked about their efforts. Ridicule can be discouraging, especially when we undertake a difficult task. Nehemiah’s response serves as a guide for dealing with ridicule. He prayed that God would “turn their insults back on their own heads.” Nehemiah did not argue or defend his calling; he wasn’t seeking vengeance, but only that they might be able to see out of the eyes of Judah…or as the old adage goes “before you criticize a man, walk a mile in his shoes!” Nehemiah knew that God could bring success in His own way, and that success alone can silence ridicule.

We too must stand tall in the face of opposition, trusting in the faithfulness of God to provide all that we need to meet the challenges that we face… and when the enemy seeks to knock us down… we can rest in the assurance of Romans 8:37. “Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.”

Nehemiah knew the ultimate purposes of those who opposed him to rebuild the wall. We must never negate being used by God for fear of those who have hidden agendas to thwart His will; Nehemiah lifted his heart towards heaven for help; likewise, when we enter upon any service or conflict, we too, must go to God in prayer! “For they all made us afraid, saying, Their hands shall be weakened from the work, that it be not done. Now therefore, O God, strengthen my hands.” Nehemiah 6:9.

Blessings and God’s grace be with you all.