Have you ever been discouraged? Ever felt like giving up? This post is for you! You can live without food, money, and water, but you can’t make it without hope. There are several things we can learn from the second half of Nehemiah 4 about dealing with discouragement.
REMEMBER THE LORD
In verse 10, we read “the strength of the laborers [was] failing.” They had been working a long time and they were worn out! In the second half of that verse, the people complain, “there is so much rubbish that we are not able to build the wall.” Not only were they tired, but they were frustrated. All they could see was broken stones and rubbish. They had lost the vision of a completed wall. They began finding fault with one another and were afraid of their enemies.
What about you? Are you tired of burning the candle at both ends? Are you frustrated with where you are in life? The people you least expect can be critical and discourage you. Are you afraid? Fear is NOT of God. “God hath not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind” (1 Timothy 1:7).
Nehemiah told the people, “Remember the Lord, great and awesome…” (v. 14). Remember the Lord! Remember who He is and all that He has done for you, and worship Him.
Don’t focus on the Sanballats, focus on the Savior. Don’t focus on the Rubbish, focus on the Redeemer. Don’t focus on the Criticism, focus on Christ.
RESOLVE TO FIGHT
Nehemiah said, “Remember the Lord, great and awesome, and fight for your brethren, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses” (v. 14). Victory comes when we remember the Lord and rally around our loved ones. There is strength in the family unit and strength in the church family. Never quit! We have to defend what we work hard for, defend what we build.
You are going to face spiritual resistance. Satan is real and is the accuser of the brethren. He does his best to convince you that you are a failure, your past is too dark, and your situation is hopeless. Satan is a liar! Combat him with the truth, the Sword of the Lord. Make sure you are reading scripture; hang it in your home. Do daily devotions, be in a small group, spend time in prayer.
What are you building? Are you defending it? You have no way to defend yourself from the world, sin, Satan, and Hell, apart from Jesus.
RETURN TO WORK
The people remembered the Lord, resolved to fight, and returned to work! They were confident saying, “Our God will fight for us” (v. 20). When you are discouraged, do the same! Get back to work and trust the Lord to fight for you! Don’t let the enemy get you distracted or off course. The work must go on!
There is strength in numbers. Don’t try to fight alone. You need close friends, the right kind of friends, your family, and your church family. We need each other.
The beginning of verse 20 says, “Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally to us there.” No matter what may be discouraging you today, remember one day the trumpet of the Lord shall sound and time shall be no more. He will gather His workers and His people to Himself, and He will defeat the enemy once and for all. If you are in Christ, you have hope! What a day that will be!