Strengthening Hands

"Then I said to them, "You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace." I also told them about the gracious hand of my God on me and what the king had said to me. They replied, "Let us start rebuilding." So, they began this good work" (Nehemiah 2:17-18). During a war soldiers don't jump up from behind their protective barricades with hurt expressions and ask the other side, "Was it something I said?" The war is not personal. The same is true in spiritual battles Christians face—our enemy is raging against Christ in us. He is opposing Jesus and his church. Our response should be to suit up in spiritual armor, show up on the battlefield, and persevere for Christ. Opposition is part of the Christian life. It does makes life more difficult. We often need to be prepared to go the extra mile. Reaching the world with the truth and love of Christ will involve inconvenience and personal sacrifice. Sometimes God allows things to proceed relatively easily, as when Nehemiah makes his requests to Artaxerxes. But other times it is more of a struggle. In chapter 1, his anxiety leads him to pray. God paved the way for him. When things go well, we can get confident—since God is on our side, nothing can go wrong. Some Christian organizations have become enamored with success and lost their way. Or they make compromises, believing success is always God's way. But not Nehemiah. He knows there is opposition to his work. The rubble and burned gates were a sign that Jerusalem had been defeated. In ancient culture, this meant that Jerusalem's God had been defeated too. That was the disgrace. A rebuilt wall around the city would be a symbol that God was with them and had not, in the end, been defeated. Thus, he called on Israel to join him in rebuilding the wall to remove the disgrace. The phrase, "So, they began this good work," is more literally translated as "And they strengthened their hands for the good." Their starting point was to encourage each other to do this good work. In Ezra 4:4, it says that the opposition caused "their hands to weaken". Later, God changed the attitude of the king of Assyria so that he gave permission and provision for rebuilding. As a result, "their hands were strengthened" or "they were filled with joy" (6:22 NIV). Throughout Ezra-Nehemiah when Israel overcomes opposition, it is because of the things that God does and because the people encourage each other. None of them can go it alone. The same is still true today. We can expect to face opposition. Satan does not want Christians nor the church to succeed. One of his great strategies is causing us to think that we are alone. That we can go it alone. But God calls us to encourage one another. "Therefore, encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing" (1 Thessalonians 5:11). Take some time today to ask God whom you can encourage, whose hands you can strengthen, so that they can continue in the good fight. As you journey on, go with his blessing: May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May your day end with rejoicing at the wonders he has shown you. May you rest in his provision as he brings night, and then new dawn.