Dragging Low

Dragging Low

Neh. 4:6-15

INTRO: Dealt with anger last week, this week discouragement,

both can keep us from experiencing the fullness of God’s presence &

purpose in our lives

1. Like a Disease, discouragement is very easy to catch &

difficult to over come

a. Highly contagious bitterness poison that spreads

1. Root of bitterness Heb 12:15 easily transmitted

b. But very beatable, It has its weakness, vulnerability

1. We have to learn to guard our hearts, so when we face it we will be

prepared

2. We shall look in the life of Nehemiah & seek to discover the

causes & cures for discouragement

3. Chap4 of Neh. A tough moment in life

a. God given vision to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem &

renew the faith of the people

b. But like any project that God gives, there were obstacles

1. Some against it, not wanting it done

2. Satisfied with old, burnt, destroyed Jerusalem

a. so did all they could to hinder, discourage to stop the work

4. The goal is get Nehemiah & people so discouraged, they’ll

give up & quit the work of the Lord

I. How does one Drag so low? How does discouragement come?

A. Predictable timing v6 *Note “half thereof” Half its height

1. Yep ½ way gets most. At first no big deal

a. work hard, furiously, then looked up think should be done

& WOW only to hear?

1. So enthusiastic at first, that gets us going but it takes more than

excitement to carry across the finish line

2. Faith runs the race Heb 12:1 ‘.., and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, “

2. When what we thought was a quick easy job turns out isn’t

so, & we reassess things, we start to drag

a. Call it a miscalculation, or wishful thinking

b. Reality sets in. OOPS this isn’t so easy after all

1. Seems our energy no longer matches what have spent & uses

c. Wish I had never started or If I quit now, expensive, waste

3. But Faith is what will have to keep us going through this

point and all the other lows ahead

B. 4 things Satan uses to cause us to be discourage v10-12

1. 1st Fatigue due to loss of strength brings Discouragement

a. Get physically tired, fatigued worn out

1. The physical effects the thinking, the emotions

b. It seems Nehemiah put together a very good & efficient

work force

1. Highly motivated, committed, enthusiastic excited

2. Accomplished a lot, worked hard day after day

c. But quick success also resulted in an overworked force

1. Just as big of enemy as those who oppose us is fatigue

a. The people were physically, emotionally & spiritually exhausted

2. They didn’t plan a time of rest

a. We are so caught up in the project, the job & the can do attitude,

we forget that the longer it goes on, the more tire we become

d. Must learn to create a margin in our life, a place to rest, to

renew our mind, body & spirits

2. 2nd Frustration due to Loss of vision

a. Their perception changed

1. Now too much rubble, not as much as when they started

a. been working, yes lots but not as much

b. Just they get one area cleaned up turn a corner & find more

1. Never ending Job, Goes on & one

c. No Longer seeing the walls to be built but the other

problems, jobs

1. Eyes aren’t on accomplishments so far or what the 1st objective is.

Just a another task, job, more work Always more,

d. Makes us feel, we’ll never be free, never will get done

1. They loose sight of their purpose, just see the large amount of work

2. They now feel like failures, can’t get it done, useless

3. 3rd Failure due to Loss of Confidence

a. Fatigue brought frustration = failure resulting in lost

confidence in themselves each other & ultimately God

1. v10c can’t get it done!

b. Hear it? Impossible! I can’t (hate that I can’t) terrible attitude

c. But failure is never final, Failure is an opportunity to try again

*President Thodore Roosevelt on failure. “It’s not the critic that will count in the end. No, not the man that points out where others have stumbled and where others could have done better. Nope. The credit…belongs to one who is actually in the arena. The one who might come up short again and again because he knows that there is no effort without error or short comings. It is the one who knows the great devotion. He knows the triumph of achievement and who if he falls, he falls at least while daring greatly. Far better it is to dare mighty things even though you’re checkered with failure than to be with the poor souls who never enjoy much nor suffer much because they live in the gray that knows neither victory nor defeat.”