They Suffered But Overcame

    A mission is a place where Christians reach out to people who have
problems and need help.  Sin and ignorance cause many to fall into
captivity by Satan and end up in the bondage of poverty, drunkenness,
drugs, and various perversions and lusts.  The good news is that Jesus
has opened the way all of us to return to a useful and productive
life.  We often find ourselves being held back.  Even being opposed by
ridicule, discouragement, treats, lies, compromise, slander or
treachery.

    Nehemiah ran into these same problems when the local officials
around Jerusalem tried to keep him under their thumb.  Because of sin,
the people of Judah had been carried off as slavers but as God brings
them back into the land, they find that Satan is trying to defeat them
through their neighbors.

    For the work of restoration, God chooses Nehemiah, who is the
cupbearer to the Persian King Artaxerxes.  Nehemiah is burdened about
his people's homeland and petitions the king to let him return and
rebuild the city of Jerusalem.  The king favors Nehemiah and grants
him his wish.

    After entering Jerusalem, Nehemiah organizes the others and they
start work on the walls.  As they work, they are noticed by the
neighboring officials who start harassing them so that they will lose
hope and quit work.

    In chapters 4,5,& 6 of the book of Nehemiah, we see how they first
suffered the opposition of ridicule.  They said "what do you feeble
jews think you are doing? ... Why, if even a fox jumps on your wall,
it will fall down."

    Then they were threatened by an attack and became discouraged. 
The people pray, however, and set up guards by taking half the people
to stand watch while the other half wear their weapons while they
worked.  They stayed ready and didn't even undress except to wash
their clothes.  The people then faced by the problem of corruption and
extortion from their own brethren.

    Their enemies even tried to get them to stop work so that they can
compromise by having a conference but the ruse didn't work, so they
started a slander campaign against Nehemiah.  This also doesn't work
so they lastly try treachery by sending a false prophet to lie to
Nehemiah so he will lose face before the people.

    God wants to desperately to bless His people and free them from
their bondage to sin.  Satan tries to keep them there.  Nehemiah and
the people, however, built their wall because they bathed their
efforts in prayer and willingness to do what was required.  We too can
have victory if we are willing to stand in prayer and do what is
required.  James 4:7 says, "Therefore submit to God.  Resist the devil
and he will flee from you."

Frank Cooke