Don't Tear Me Down

In life people build things, and people destroy things for various reasons. Similarly, this is the same in our personal lives. People will befriend you for the sole purpose of destroying/disrupting the promises in your life. In the book of Nehemiah chapter 4, the children of Israel are attempting rebuild the temple. While they are re- building the temple, other people were standing around thinking about how they can stop the Israelites from completing the temple. I do believe that the book of Nehemiah gives good advice on how to handle people that are trying to tear you down. In Nehemiah 4:1 the bible says, “1 When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall…” The first thing you have to know, is that when you are building/rebuilding your life on the promises of God the enemy will hear about the work that is taking place. The next thing the enemy will do is get upset and begin to insult you, which is found in the rest of Nehemiah 4:1, “he became angry and was greatly incensed. He ridiculed the Jews, 2 and in the presence of his associates and the army of Samaria…” The hope of the enemy is that you begin to listen to the ridicule and doubt that the work God is building/rebuilding in you can’t be finish. In Nehemiah 4:4-56 we find a viable solution for you to survive this first wave of attack from the enemy. That solution is pray; Nehemiah didn’t argue with his enemy or even try to get rid of them. Nehemiah prayed and told God what he was in the midst of, and after he finish praying the Israelites continued rebuilding the wall. WE should be the same, after the insults and ridicule, prayer is next. As a body of believers we believe that prayer changes things and at the very least prayer will keep us on the path of building/rebuilding our lives. Remember, the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. Once the enemy realizes that ridicule won’t work, the enemy will organize and plan to attack you by stirring up trouble. We find this is what the enemy does in Nehemiah 4:8, “8 They all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and stir up trouble against it”. The children of Israel knew to continue to pray and decided to keep a guard up day and night (Nehemiah 4:9). This is the same thing that 1 Peter 5 “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” encourages us to do. When the enemy is organizing to stop your progress in your life, you must begin to be alert and watchful over everything/everyone that comes around you. Some people will only get next to you, just to find your old business and stir trouble up against you to prevent your new business from coming into fruition. While keeping guard day and night is tiring, remember, “let us not be weary in well doing”. This is what begins to happen with Israelites, is that they became tired in building and keeping guard. This leads the door open to the third attack by the enemy. When the enemy begins to see that you are tired, the enemy will try to take you out just to stop what God is doing (Nehemiah 4:11-12). But like Nehemiah 4:13, “13 Therefore I stationed some of the people behind the lowest points of the wall at the exposed…” We have to find good people that believe in the work that God is doing in people’s lives, and have them positioned in places that when we feel low, exposed, and vulnerable they will be there to protect us from the enemy, so that God’s work in us will not be stopped. Lastly in Nehemiah 4:14 “Don't be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes.” We have to keep this thought with us, this battle is not ours but the Lords, but we still have to show up for the fight. Since I am here for the fight, and all I can do is pray. Don’t be selfish and only pray for yourself, but pray for everyone that the enemy is seeking to destroy. Even though God may be doing a different work in you, we are all many members in 1 body. So I want to see the work that God is building/rebuilding in you, because your building and my building work together for HIS KINGDOM!!!!!!!