Therefore I stationed some of the people behind the lowest points of the wall at the exposed places, posting them by families, with their swords, spears and bows. 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 families, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes.” When our enemies heard that we were aware of their plot and that God had frustrated it, we all returned to the wall, each to our own work. From that day on, half of my men did the work, while the other half were equipped with spears, shields, bows and armor. The officers posted themselves behind all the people of Judah who were building the wall. Those who carried materials did their work with one hand and held a weapon in the other, and each of the builders wore his sword at his side as he worked. But the man who sounded the trumpet stayed with me. 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. Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, join us there. Our God will fight for us!” - Nehemiah 4:13-20
These verses tell us what Nehemiah did, but we can also think of what Nehemiah could have done in this situation.
He could have done nothing - and even been spiritual about it. “Well brothers, we’re just trusting in the Lord. We prayed about it, and believe the Lord will deliver us somehow.”
He could have panicked - and started thinking it was his job alone to defend against the attack.
What he did was to wisely and calmly trust God in the midst of the storm, and to do the concrete things God would have him do to obtain the victory.
Their swords, their spears, and their bows: Nehemiah commanded them to bring out their armor. It was time to get serious, to put on the full armor, and to get ready to fight with every resource they had.
Do not be afraid of them. Remember the LORD, great and awesome: Nehemiah put their mind in the right perspective. The challenge was great but there was no reason for fear. He who was in them was greater than he who was in the world.
We all returned to the wall, each to our own work: This was the victory. Defending against the attack was not the victory; the people of God would not be at peace and security until the wall was rebuilt. Getting on with the work was the victory.
When we are under spiritual attack it is easy to feel that just enduring the storm is the victory. It isn’t. The attack often comes to prevent your progress and work for the LORD. Victory is enduring the attack and continuing the progress and work for the LORD.
Whatever opposition comes our way, the best thing we can do is to turn our hearts to God and turn our hands back to doing the work that we know God has called us to do!
Jeff Frazier
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