“Now when Sanballat heard that we were building the wall, he was angry and greatly enraged, and he jeered at the Jews. And he said in the presence of his brothers and the army of Samaria, ‘What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they restore it for themselves? Will they sacrifice? Will they finish up in a day? Will they revive the stones out of the heaps of rubbish, and burned ones at that?’ Tobiah the Ammonite was beside him, and he said, ‘Yes, what they are building—if a fox goes up on it he will break down their stone wall!‘ Hear, O our God, for we are despised. Turn back their taunt on their own heads and give them up to be plundered in a land where they are captives. Do not cover their guilt, and let not their sin be blotted out from your sight, for they have provoked you to anger in the presence of the builders.
“So we built the wall. And all the wall was joined together to half its height, for the people had a mind to work.
“But when Sanballat and Tobiah and the Arabs, the Ammonites and the Ashdodites heard that the repairing of the walls of Jerusalem was going forward and that the breaches were beginning to be closed, they were very angry. And they all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and to cause confusion in it. And we prayed to our God and set a guard as a protection against them day and night.” Nehemiah 4:1-9
Nehemiah had returned to Jerusalem from captivity to rebuild with King Artaxerxes’ blessing. But not all were so supportive. Almost immediately the Jews met resistance cruel and conniving. With mind and heart saturated in the character and power of God, Nehemiah was able to lead his people to oppose every type of opposition Sanballat spit and threatened. He would not succumb. His God imbued purpose, identity, and strength to do what the enemy taunted was impossible. (Nehemiah 1:4-11; 2:1-8,17-20)
The enemy of God and His children is wiley and vociferous in his craft. His aim is to undermine purpose, steal identity, kill confidence, destroy vision, deceive from truth, extinguish hope. He opposes God’s will in every way and is relentless in subverting the righteous efforts of His people. (John 8:44; 10:10; 1 Peter 5:8)
But our God is greater, more than a match for his cruelty and force. Where the devil accuses of feeble plans, the Lord imparts might and certain ends. Where he disparages holy commitment and reverence, God delights to receive them. Where he questions and subverts noble goals, the Lord enables with possibility and perseverance. God gives the mind to work with passion and prudence, and fights for His own. (Nehemiah 4:10-21; 1 John 4:4)
What present opposition seems overwhelming? Has the world dampened spiritual fervor, blurred vision, or infected desires? Has discouragement dampened resolve or squelched obedience? Is fear, shame, or niggling regret tripping up spiritual progress? The Lord God opposes every opposition with perfection, power, and victory.
“The prince of darkness grim,
we tremble not for him;
his rage we can endure,
for lo! his doom is sure.” ~Martin Luther (1529)
Lord, against every opposition, help me stand firm on Your victorious side.
As the rain and snow 