Discouragement....be a kite!

  I have been running into Nehemiah Chapter 4 for many months now. All completely on accident. I did the Open the Bible to a random place thing.  In that chapter the children of Israel are given the support from the king of Babylon to rebuild Jerusalem. The are constantly  harassed by Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites and the people of Ashdod. The enemies of Israel were very angry when they found out the walls of Jerusalem were being erected.


^{Nehemiah 4:8-12 
8} They all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and stir up trouble against it. ⁹ But we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat.
 ¹⁰ Meanwhile, the people in Judah said, “The strength of the laborers is giving out, and there is so much rubble that we cannot rebuild the wall.”
 ¹¹ Also our enemies said, “Before they know it or see us, we will be right there among them and will kill them and put an end to the work.”
 ¹² Then the Jews who lived near them came and told us ten times over, “Wherever you turn, they will attack us.”


 So many times when we are trying to "build the walls of Jerusalem" aka do the Father's will, we have a massive resistance come against us. I don't remember who said it, but one of the quotes that seem very pertinent is "the amount of resistance you receive is equal to the importance it is." The enemy likes to destroy the "infant"  work. This is a very important stage. If he can destroy your foundation, the city will not stand. For instance; if he can place an irritation, distraction,or other separation between you and a brother/sister..you must realize that you most likely irritating the enemy.  It's should be an absolutely encouragement! Take heart.

 To give an analogy, without the resistance of the wind a kite cannot fly. Plain and simple. The more wind resistance it has, the higher it flies! Without the hand controlling us through the winds, we would get no where though. Pride has no place in this.The thing that would be used to frustrate and discourage us...makes us fly!


Nehemiah 4:13-23
  ¹³ 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. ¹⁴ 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.”

 ¹⁵ 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.

 ¹⁶ 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 ¹⁷who were building the wall. Those who carried materials did their work with one hand and held a weapon in the other, ¹⁸ and each of the builders wore his sword at his side as he worked. But the man who sounded the trumpet stayed with me.

 ¹⁹ 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. ²⁰ Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, join us there. Our God will fight for us!”

 ²¹ So we continued the work with half the men holding spears, from the first light of dawn till the stars came out. ²² At that time I also said to the people, “Have every man and his helper stay inside Jerusalem at night, so they can serve us as guards by night and as workers by day.” ²³Neither I nor my brothers nor my men nor the guards with me took off our clothes; each had his weapon, even when he went for water.^[c]

It is so easy for me to get frustrated most times,and to become condemning. God fights for us! He is asked by the enemy to "sift" us like he did Peter (Luke 22:31)
That is an AMAZING but scary thought. So my friends...Take heart. Grab your weapons (each other, the armor) and press forward! No matter whether you are "just" going to work, changing diapers, or anything..do it knowing you are building The City of The Most High with your very life.

Remember to be a kite!