"Strengthen my hands!"

Scripture:

Nehemiah 6:9, 15, 16 "They were all trying to frighten us, thinking, "Their hands will get too weak for the work, and it will not be completed." But I prayed, "Now strengthen my hands." So the wall was completed ... in fifty-two days. When all our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and lost their self-confidence, because they realized that this work had been done with the help of our God."

Observation:

The enemies of the Israelites led by Sanballat and Tobiah, had a plan ... to discourage the people of God from completing their task. If the Israelites gave up, the enemies of the Lord would have reason to rejoice. It would be chalked up as a victory against the God followers.

You see, there's one thing that Sanballat and Tobiah had right: Israel did indeed have the potential to rebuild what was once destroyed. Finishing the task would find the Temple once again magnificent. Author Wayne Cordeiro says, "And the only way to stop that from happening was for them to discourage the people away from what they had the capacity and the calling to do. The enemy knew what was in them, but the question was whether or not the people knew."

But if the Israelites would press through, the opposite would take place. They ultimately do, and the Scriptures give us this result: "The surrounding nations were afraid and lost their self-confidence, because they realized that this work had been done with the help of our God." (Nehemiah 6:16)

Application:

God has called and equipped His people to do great things for Him. So often things are left undone because of discouragment, despair, depression or doubt. We allow the enemy to tell us that we "can't do it" for whatever reason. So days turn to weeks, weeks to months, and months to years where we do not fulfill the purpose of the dreams that God has placed within each of us.

When you decide to take that step to follow God with your ability and trust, the enemy will attack that is for sure. Nehemiah summarizes the enemies threats in this way: "They were all trying to frighten us, thinking, "Their hands will get too weak for the work, and it will not be completed."But I prayed, "Now strengthen my hands."

The enemy knows ... But did they?This is my prayer as well... that God would also strengthen my hands to complete the work He has called me to do; that I would not drop out of my potential but see His calling in me fully completed. Like Caleb, I want to "follow Him fully." And in the end, the people will realize that it was God that was acting on our behalf ... not we ourselves.

Prayer:

"Lord, like Nehemiah I ask that you would strengthen my hands. You have given me dreams, and placed potential within me. Too often I have allowed the enemies whisper of fear to keep me from going forward and accompllishing the task that you have placed before me. I ask you to forgive me for that. I believe you want us to try great things for you. We must step out of the boat and try to accomplish things that depends upon you to help make it happen. I want to pray as if it all depended on you, and work as if it depends on me. Then, when our enemies see the work completed, they will exclaim that it could only have been done so with the ..."Help of our God." In Jesus name, amen!"

Blessings!

Pastor Rusty