Perseverance: Standing Strong
Nehemiah 4 & 6
“They were just trying to intimidate us, imagining that they could break our resolve and stop the work. So I prayed for strength to continue the work.”
- Nehemiah 6:9
They were against Nehemiah from the beginning. Tobiah, Sanballat, and Geshem didn’t want anyone to help Israel. They didn’t want anyone to rebuild Jerusalem.
As Nehemiah developed a plan for rebuilding the city, they devised a scheme to keep it from happening. As the Israelites began building the wall, they mocked them, saying, “That stone wall would collapse if even a fox walked along the top of it!” (Nehemiah 4: 3). As the rebuilding became more difficult, these men planned to attack the Israelites and kill them. And as the work neared completion, Tobiah, Sanballat, and Geshem try to distract Nehemiah and the Israelites.
Yet the Israelites persevered. They continued their work, building with one hand and holding a weapon in the other; they worked during the day and stood guard at night. Even though Tobiah, Sanballat, and Geshem constantly pestered him, Nehemiah held his ground, saying, “I am doing a great work! I cannot stop…” (Nehemiah 6:3).
The truth is, when we are doing God’s work, someone may try to stop us. As we continue seeking God’s will and building His Kingdom, distractions might come. Some people may mock us; others might think we are crazy.
But like Nehemiah and the Israelites, we’ll persevere. We’ll keep our eyes focused on God. May our response imitate Nehemiah’s: “We are doing a great work, and we cannot stop.”
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