YM Devo: Facing Opposition
Read Nehemiah 4
Some questions to answer:
- Who was upset with Nehemiah for rebuilding the wall? Why were they upset?
- As they continued to face threats and opposition, what two things did Nehemiah and the Israelites do?
Encouragement:
Things looked so promising for Nehemiah in his quest to rebuild the Jerusalem wall and restore hope to the people of Israel. The Lord was clearly blessing his every move and they had begun working on restoring the wall. But then, as with all great stories you read or see in the movie theaters, we find out that nothing is ever that easy or simple. As they were making progress on the wall, Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites and the men of Ashdod became very angry and plotted ways that they could join forces to stir up trouble (Nehemiah 4:7-8). They didn’t want the Jerusalem wall to be rebuilt and they certainly didn’t want hope restored to Israel so they were going to try to stop them.
So what did Nehemiah do when he was faced with this opposition? He prayed and he protected. Everything that had happened to Nehemiah up until this point was the Lord opening doors and providing a way for the wall to be rebuilt. Was God now going to leave him hanging after he had gotten this far? Of course not! In James 1:5-6 it says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.” Nehemiah needed wisdom and the Lord’s help. So he prayed and the Lord provided wisdom for what to do.
Not only did Nehemiah pray, but he protected. He positioned people at the lowest points and the weakest areas of the wall with spears, swords and body of armor. He made sure that people were standing guard through the day and night to protect the wall and people of Jerusalem.
Similar to Nehemiah, I believe that if God is moving in your life and/or ministry, you will face opposition somewhere. After all, Satan can not stand to allow God to be victorious. Whether it is a conflict in a personal relationship or an angry parent or even a discord in your leadership, if God is working, Satan will throw up opposition somewhere, somehow. The question is how do you respond to that opposition? Where do you turn?
TAKE A MINUTE and reflect/respond to these questions.
Application:
- When you face hardship in your personal life, what do you normally do?
- When you face hardship in your ministry, what do you normally do?
- How can God be a bigger part of the answer in how you respond to those times of opposition?
- Is there an action that you need to take based on some opposition you are facing or will face down the road?
When you face opposition, be encouraged by what Nehemiah said to those who were stationed to protect against possible attack. He said, “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.” (v. 14, emphasis mine). In addition, in v. 20, he said, “our God will fight for us!” Let us prayerfully and strategically continue the fight remembering always that our God is great and awesome! He will provide us wisdom and discernment through the toughest of times and the hardest opposition. We have to remain faithful to Him and continue to turn to Him through it all.
