“During this time.”
Are you in one of those seasons?
A season where you are hunkered down and weathering the storm?
A season where you are trying to keep all the balls in the air, remember to eat, and question your life choices?
A season where you can’t let your guard down?
Nehemiah could relate. Enemy threats continued to assault him and his work crew as they labored intensely to complete the wall surrounding the city of Jerusalem. The threats were intended to evoke fear, cause confusion, and then evolved into elicit death threats.
While overseeing the wall’s construction, Nehemiah also continued to fortify a response to the enemy’s relentless attacks. Last week, we discovered a foundational rebuttal: we are to know who we are, accept our calling, and believe we have the power of God behind us. (See Part 3) When the enemy persists, we too, need to build on our foundation and not abandon hope.
Nehemiah did not give up or give in. Instead, he dug in and became more intent. “During this time, none of us—not I, nor my relatives, nor my servants, nor the guards who were with me—ever took off our clothes. We carried our weapons with us at all times, even when we went for water” (Nehemiah 4:23, NLT)
While Nehemiah’s main go-to was prayer, he also did not sit idly by. Life can be incredibly challenging, leaving us feeling drained and unsure of how to move forward. We can take cues from Nehemiah’s example to prepare ourselves and face whatever comes our way.
During difficult seasons, how do we keep on going?
Surviving A Season
- Take Action. When we are in a difficult season, we need to have the willingness to be part of the solution. Nehemiah set up guards in the gaps and armed the workers. He developed a plan in case of an attack. Nehemiah reminds us that God expects us to fight: “Then our God will fight for us!” (Nehemiah 4:13, 20.) In a continual state of prayer, we need to seek God for any actions we can take and ask, “Is there anything I need to do?”
- Remind Ourselves of the Truth. When we are in a difficult season, we need to be diligently reminding ourselves of the truth. Nehemiah’s leadership consistently reminded himself and others of what was true. He rallied the team with a reminder not to be afraid, but to focus on who God is. “Don’t be afraid of the enemy! Remember the Lord, who is great and glorious, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes!” (Nehemiah 4:14) We need to continually tell ourselves the truth about God, ourselves and the situation, and prayerfully always asking for God’s wisdom on where our focus needs to be aimed.
- Stay Alert. When we are in a difficult season, we need to be vigilantly attentive. In addition to guards and everyone armed, Nehemiah had people posted to keep watch for the impending attack. There was a trumpeter who would sound the alarm to guide reinforcements to the area under attack. The apostle Paul tells us to “Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong” (1 Corinthians 16:13, NIV). We must wake up, be observant, and prayerfully listen for God’s guidance by asking, “Is there anything I need to know?”
We prepare for a trip, a new job, or guests to stay in our homes, but we are stunned and surprised when we encounter a difficult season. “Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange was happening to you” (1 Peter 4:12, NIV).
When things become more difficult, we need alarms in our brains going off, warning us not to be caught off guard. Since God is with us as we take action, we will overcome the difficult season. (Zechariah 10:2) Don’t let life’s difficulties hold you back – let Nehemiah’s approach inspire you to keep moving forward, no matter what.
I pray you seek God’s wisdom on how to stay alert and take action during your difficult seasons. May you remember the truth about God and who you are and recite the truth to yourself continually. May you experience the truth, empowering you to be bolder and braver as you stand firm in your faith. In Jesus’ name, so be it.
Meditate: Pick a characteristic of God that applies to your situation and meditate on the characteristic.
Reflect: How are you handling your current difficult season? (or How did you handle your most recent one?) How can the above three responses help you better navigate those difficult seasons? How do you stay alert, attentive, and on guard – what does this look like? Is there any action you need to be taking right now? If so, what is it?
Deeper: (As you read through these additional verses, ask the Spirit to give you wisdom, and teach you more about how to be prepared to respond during a difficult season.) Nehemiah 4:13-23, 5:1-19; Zechariah 10; Ephesians 6:13-18
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(Bible References: NLT – New Living Translation, NIV – New International Version)
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