"But we prayed to our God, and because of them we set up a guard against them day and night". (Neh. 4:9)

For Meditation Read Nehemiah Ch.4:1-23

Discouragement is one of the most damaging forms of attack; in fact it is one which is the most destructive tool in the armoury of Satan. Discouragement is nothing new, all of God’s people at sometime faced discouragement

Our lives are built upon the foundations we lay down in life, but often those foundations are built on shifting sands, and the moment problems arise we sink in despair. How we respond to the problems we face will often determine its outcome, and how learn from them will always make us stronger, This previous year has been one which has shaken the Western world, the atrocities have alarmed us and caused us to be fearful, how to do respond to these atrocities

Nehemiah in the Old Testament was no stranger to discouragement; He was given the task of rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem but faced much opposition from the enemy, and also discouragement within the camp and coming from his own brethren.

Nehemiah gives us some insight into coming to terms with this discouragement and opposition-

Nehemiah’s first response to opposition he says, “And we prayed to our God and set a guard as a protection against them day and night.”

His second response was to continue the work as we read in verse 6, “So we built the wall,” and in verse 15, “And we all returned to the wall.”

His third response was to remind the people about the God who is behind this building project. He said in verse 14, “Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives and your homes.”

Nehemiah focused their attention on God. He repeatedly used the phrase “Great and awesome O Lord God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenants and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments. (Nehemiah 1:5)

What is our response to opposition? - Should we expect opposition? The Bible says all who desire to live godly in this world will face opposition (2 Tim 3:12). “Do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it come upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you,” (1 Peter 4:12).

When we repented and we placed our faith in the completed work of Christ on our behalf, we were adopted into the family of God. We are adopted into a family, we bear that family name. And there are few names that can cause such diverse and often quite viscous attack as the name of our Savior Jesus.

Jesus said,

“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you”.

But you will face opposition for carrying the name of Christ that’s a certainty.

The arrows of opposition that you face may take the same form as those that were aimed at the inhabitants of Jerusalem. Subtle forms of ridicule are often more painful to accept especially if it comes from those you love. To be excluded, patronized and ignored may even cause you to slightly downplay your faith or compromise your stand on certain issues. Other times it will be insignificant things which build up, sometimes we get into situations that lead us to follow a direction we shouldn’t go down without realizing it. And it causes us to lose faith and lose our direction.

Paul in Ephesians reminds us that we are in a battle not of Human means but spiritual he says

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armour of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against them schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armour of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm”. (Ephesians .6:10-13)

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