Two outcomes to expect when you answer God’s challenging call
By Dean Collins
When God calls you to restore and rebuild, you can be confident at least two things will happen: 1) you will have opposition; 2) God will be with you.
Even if you leave God out of the equation, which I’m sure you won’t try, we know someone will eventually challenge or attempt to stop the good work you are doing. Just look around you or look back. In the game of life, there is always opposition. There is always a barrier to success. It seems that no matter what good we plan to do, we will sooner or later run into someone whose plan is contrary to ours.
Since it is God who is directing our paths and showing us where we are to focus our restoration and renewal process this year, we surely must be prepared for the enemy to try to interrupt, slow, or even stop our work.
He met his opposition
When Nehemiah arrived in Jerusalem he quickly met his opposition. Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the Ammonite, along with Geshem the Arab challenged Nehemiah’s plan and his authority. Even after Nehemiah showed them the letter of permission from the king, they did not relent.
After the first attempt to stop Nehemiah from organizing his Jewish brothers to rebuild, these three adversaries mocked them and despised them. Nehemiah might get started, but the table was set for difficulty and constant attempts of distraction to slow his work.
Nehemiah was calm and clear in his response to those who stood in the way: “The God of heaven will make us prosper, and we his servants will arise and build, but you have no portion or right or claim in Jerusalem.”
He found courage from God
How could Nehemiah be so confident? Because he had spent much time in prayer and fasting and had seen God confirm his calling. If we go off on a whim or simply led by our own desire for greatness, we should not expect such clarity of conviction. But when God is the prompter of the dream and vision, we can fully expect him to give us courage and clarity of response when the opposition attempts to interrupt what God is doing in us and through us.
As Nehemiah faced his detractors, he called his community to see the problem, join him in the work, and strengthen their hands to do the good work God had called them to do. If God has called us to a work of restoration, then maybe we should do the same: Show others the problem, call them to action, and prepare both spiritually and physically to do the good work of God together.
I can’t wait to see the walls that will be rebuilt and the gates that will be repaired because of your willingness to respond to God’s prompts this year!
Your time with God’s Word
Nehemiah 2:17-20 ESV
Photo by Pixabay at Pexels.com
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