What We Cannot Do

The enemies of the Jews had one overriding objective: To prevent them from accomplishing their objective, and do anything possible to stop the work on the wall.

They tried to accomplish their goals in many ways. They tried to intimidate the Jews. They spread rumors and attacked the character of their leaders and the people themselves. They made false accusations and tried to secure government action to stop their work. They tried to distract them with misleading offers.

They ridiculed and mocked them, and created the impression that defeat was inevitable. They mocked their skills and tried to get them to feel inadequate. They reminded the Jews of the size of their goals, and tried to make them feel that this goal could not be attained and that defeat was inevitable.

There are similar ways we can be tempted to stop working and give up. We can become preoccupied. We can feel intimidated by the threats of the opposition, and demoralized by criticism. We can feel unworthy and unprepared. We can be discouraged by the size of our objectives and feel that the challenges are too great.

But the one thing we cannot do is stop working. In every situation we need to react like the Jews during the time of Nehemiah and resist the temptation to give in to criticism. We must stand against the spirit of discouragement and doubt. We must stay focused on the tasks that God has given us, and keep working. Keep moving forward in faith. Resisting every temptation and every distraction. Confident in God.