“When our enemies heard that we were aware of their plot and that God has frustrated it, we all returned to the wall, each to our own work.”
If someone asks you how you are doing and you reply with, “Just putting out all the fires”, then you understand how problems can consume your day and sometimes even your life. Many of us seem to put all the focus on the problems. You know this when you ask them how they are doing and all they talk about are the problems such as medical issues or work issues. Moving forward in life stops and all the focus is on the attack from the enemy.
We find Nehemiah and all the Israelites who made the move from Babylon to rebuild the wall getting constant harassment from the Samarians and neighboring kingdoms. It was no doubt that God had called Nehemiah to rebuild the wall at this point. He was given providential favor from the king of Persia and he has all the materials needed to rebuild the temple and the wall. It was also clear to everyone working toward this glorious task that God had his hand over this project.
Just like in real life, enemies seem to be lurking in the shadows waiting to pounce on your progress by disrupting or destroying your plans. In verse 4 of this chapter, Nehemiah prays that God will turn their insult back on their own heads. Nehemiah ends this chapter by declaring that “God will fight for us!”
How often have you been in a struggle? You are where God wants you to be and doing what God wants you to do and yet you find yourself burdened by the threat of the enemy. It could be that coworker or that driver or even that sister or brother who seems to be redirecting your focus off of your task or work and focusing on the enemy. God does not want you constantly focusing on the enemy or the problem. He wants you walking forward in the power of His might knowing God will fight for you. The wall was never going to be built if the Israelites had total focus on their enemies.
If you read on, they adapted to the threat and kept on working. Ignoring the enemy does not make it go away, it can even get you into real trouble. God’s people kept working but with a spear in one hand and a hammer in the other. Don’t redirect your entire focus because the enemy has decided to mount an attack. Keep on working and pick up your weapon, the Bible, and be prepared to fight while you work. God will fight for you, so going into full battle mode and forgetting about what God has called you to do is wrong. He never intended us to drop and put on hold what He called us to do because the enemy is attacking. Keep building the wall.
Let It Go 
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