Learning From NehemiahSample

Worth Fighting For

Why is it so easy to fall into the mindset that, if we are good, only good things will happen to us?

And, by extension, if we are doing the good (right) thing, will it always be easy and without problems?

I have someone in my life who seems to tell me this anytime I am a bit worried or anxious about something on the horizon.

I want to ask them if they are familiar with the story of Job.

The Book of Job is written to disprove this entire point. Bad things sometimes happen to good people, and not everything that is good is easy. It’s a lesson I’m learning, and it’s one that I’m trying to pass on to my sons.

Not everything that is good is easy. Ask Abraham, Jacob, David, Paul, Jesus…or literally anyone.

Nehemiah learned that lesson.

He knew what it was like to undertake a good project, one difficult to imagine not being within God’s good graces, yet he faced opposition. It’s tempting to imagine him throwing up his hands, looking to Heaven, and shouting, “Why?!!”

As Nehemiah organized the people to rebuild the wall, they encountered active resistance. No mere taunts and jeers, this threat required them to arm themselves and stay vigilant in case there was a need to fight literally.

Interestingly, Nehemiah, who was driven by a passion for Jerusalem, does not call the men to fight for the city.

Rather, he calls them to remember their great and awesome God.

He first grounds their valor and courage in the God they serve. This would have called to mind all the stories from Israel’s past of God working on their behalf. The power and miracles God had wrought for their ancestors could be on their side, too.

And then Nehemiah reminds them that they are family men and to defend their families.

Let’s be men who know what it means to defend those things that are most important, rooted in the presence and power of God. Let us move forward, unafraid of what may stand in our way. This is not a call to violence or aggression, but a call to serve the Lord in a way that reflects the love and power of Jesus to those around us as we protect what we value most.

Prayer: God, many things in the world can make us afraid. Help us to remember that You are on our side and that Your love can drive out fear (1 John 4:18). Help me defend those things that are important in a Christ-like way. Amen.

Reflection: Do you face any threats or fears today? How can you rely on God to help you face those threats with courage and strength?