And I looked, and rose up, and said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, be not afraid of them: remember the Lord, which is great and terrible, and fight for your brethren, your sons, and your daughters, your wives, and your houses. And it came to pass, when our enemies heard that it was known unto us, and God had brought their counsel to nothing, that we returned all of us to the wall, every one unto his work
–Nehemiah 4:14-15
Nehemiah had returned to Jerusalem with a mandate to rebuild the city walls. But this was not an easy task. He faced strong, united opposition to this effort. Yet in the end, Nehemiah and his fellow Jews were able to accomplish this overwhelming task. Why were they successful?
They had every reason to be afraid, but instead, they trusted in God. Confident in Him, they did not allow their adversaries to intimidate them. They remembered that the Lord was “great and awesome.” Instead of worrying about their opponents, they put their faith in Him.
They demonstrated unwavering determination to complete their assignment. They were not passive but stood firmly and boldly. They were so focused on God that they did not allow anyone or anything to distract them. And they continued to be persistent. They had stepped out in faith, and they continued to move forward to do God’s work with confidence.
The same keys that helped Nehemiah can help bring victory in our lives. If we find ourselves trapped or paralyzed, we need to turn to God. Facing challenges, we should never be afraid or intimidated, but we should instead pray with a sense of urgency. We can be paralyzed by the size of our adversaries or the ways they threaten us. Instead, we should stand on the promises in God’s Word.
Remember these principles in the situations you face. Don’t be afraid or intimidated. Trust in God. Ask God to give a greater boldness to step out in faith. Seek first His Kingdom. Allow Him to use you to impact lives.