IN DOING GOD’S WORK, PRAYERFUL PERSISTENCE DISPELS DOUBT AND REPELS RESISTANCE
At this point in life’s journey it should come as no surprise to us that, when endeavoring to live out the prayer principle, “Thy Will be done on earth as it is in Heaven”, not all are in favor of God’s Will being done --- in their own lives or anyone’s. We see it, hear it, read about it, contend with it --- denial of God’s authority over His creation, defiance of God’s commandments . . . instructions . . . standards of conduct by which God’s people are to live.
Christian beliefs and practices are under assault and Judeo-Christian ethics are being targeted by godless elitist secularists whose self-serving objective is to “rule or ruin” – gain power over the lives of masses of people, to render them helpless and dependent upon elitist rulers . . . resist views contrary to worldly lifestyles, and destroy people or policies that seek to keep the Lord God in who we are and what we do as a nation. Why do “they” oppose recognition of God as Supreme Being and respect for God’s commandments?
Christian beliefs and Judeo-Christian ethics stand in the way of a godless agenda! The worldly-minded cannot achieve their objective IF God’s People go about the Father’s business in a manner that reflects what Christians pray for - “THY Will be done on earth as it is in Heaven”.
Medical missionary Bill Wallace is cited in our study guide as an illustration of extreme measures which godless secularists (in this case, Communists) have resorted to in order to rid society of Godly influences . . . occurred long ago in a foreign country.
However, we must not avoid calling attention to the foothold that such ideology has gotten in modern-day America. It is no secret that Judeo-Christian ethics and moral standards in our country are now openly at odds with the worldly “anything goes” mentality that has apparently gripped the minds of far more Americans than we would like to admit.
It used to be said by the worldly-minded, “It doesn’t matter what you believe, just so you believe something.” Now it is said: “Believe in nothing religious for you are secular people living in a secular society governed by secular rulers.”
What is meant by that line of thinking is: “We non-religious elitists are putting together a global secular society by persuading people to change allegiance from anything religious (submission to Creator God, Lordship of Jesus Christ) to ownership by the state. No more “In God We Trust”! The “god of government” will direct your paths and take care of you.” You will therefore become subjects of the state.
Facing the assault of godless secularism, Christians must be vigilant, must be determined to go about our Father’s business, unhindered by doubt and fear, seeking to do God’s Will in spite of ridicule from enemies of the Gospel of Christ, despite resistance by the enemies of God to the building of the Kingdom of God.
Thus, the thesis of this our third study about Nehemiah’s prayerfully planned response to the crisis back home in Jerusalem speaks to the challenge we face in our day: “In doing God’s work . . . prayerful persistence dispels doubt and fear . . . repels resistance . . .” Our study is based on the fourth chapter of Nehemiah.
Nehemiah had embarked on a mission to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem after the Lord amazingly gave him a vision for (1) restoring the faith of God’s people in God as their Father, and (2) rebuilding the Holy City that had been destroyed by enemies of God.
And, as is the case anytime God’s people go about their Father’s business, seeking to do God’s Will, opposition arose from those bent on holding onto “anything goes” lifestyles granted to them by their false gods.
If you are a student of how godless secularism works, you now know that, to succeed, advocates of godless lifestyles must resort to psychological warfare, using tactics designed to break the will of the people via ridicule and resistance, doubt and fear.
The most reliable way to overcome negative effects of assaults by those who oppose Judeo-Christian influences is for God’s people called by His Name to pray, and persist in doing God’s work --- restoring faith in God, rebuilding Judeo-Christian character to serve as a rock solid deterrent to Satan’s fiery darts.
Four aspects of Judeo-Christian persistence are presented in our Scripture passage:
PERSISTENTCE IN SPITE OF RIDICULE – Nehemiah 4:1-3 . . . Sanballat’s angry zealots come out of the woodwork anytime God’s chosen people, by putting the things of God first, start succeeding at the task they have been assigned. Truth is:
We live in a fallen world where there will always be “those who oppose” . . . we must contend with opposition as we seek to do the right thing in the right way . . . this psychological tactic of ridicule is Satan’s attempt at mind control. None of us likes to be ridiculed, laughed at, scorned. But all too often folks go along to get along . . . would rather conform than be swarmed with a barrage of insults.
Despite what it is that may be bugging you, or who it is for that matter . . . you be persistent in doing God’s Will, as best you understand it, for as long as God gives you breath. Keep on chugging. With God by your side, how can you lose? After all, it is He to whom we will be accountable!
PERSISTANCE IN SPITE OF RESISTANCE – Nehemiah 4:6-9 . . . Even when things are going well due to the fact that Godly people have the backbone and the will to keep going about their Father’s business, so furious become those who oppose that they’d rather fight even that which is right than see progress made by those they ridiculed and made fun of (made fun of because of their conviction that the Lord had told them to rebuild).
Despite what it is that may be causing that churning inside of you, or who it is for that matter, you be persistent in doing God’s Will, as best you understand it, for as long as He gives you breath. Keep on plugging.
PERSISTENCE IN LIGHT OF REMEMBRANCE – Nehemiah 4:14-18 . . . God-loving and God-fearing people had done something very unusual (4:9): After they had prayed, they “stationed a guard”. Why on earth did they do that? They simply linked prayer with an action they could take to deal with something they could control!
The Lord our God did not create us to be doormats! There are times in our pilgrimage on this earth when either we must be reminded, or we ourselves must remember, Who God is: “Remember the great and awe-inspiring LORD”!
Awe-inspiring! God is not dead. God is always at work. God is working in us, with us, through us to bring about that which is best for those who love the Lord. If it takes “shock and awe” to bring His Will to pass, so be it. God granted His people a right to defend themselves from the assaults of those who oppose - who would do harm to His people by rendering them subservient to godless rulership.
PERSISTENCE IN LIGHT OF REASSURANCE – Nehemiah 4:14 – “Don’t be afraid of them” and Nehemiah 4:18 – “Each of the builders had his sword strapped around his waist while he was building - and the trumpeter was beside me.”
Always go about the Father’s business cautiously but optimistically - aware of the possibility that opposition could arise to thwart the best of your intentions, yet having close by you a “life alert” system just in case Satan tries to cause you to panic in the wake of a looming disaster. For, you see . . .
By working together, in harmony with one another, as a support system to provide reinforcement, there is nothing that can come between you and the Lord that cannot be overcome by the reassurance of God’s and His people’s assistance in time of trouble! “Though I find myself in trouble, the Lord preserves my life; He stretches out His hand against the anger of my foes by giving me the help I need.” (Psalms 108 and 138).
Folks, no matter who or what we find ourselves up against as we go about our Father’s business, PRAYERFUL PERSISTENCE dispels doubt about whether or not we are doing the right thing . . . repels resistance from those who oppose God’s directive that we do the right thing in the right way.
God is on the side of those who are called by His Name and seek to do His Will on earth as it is in Heaven! Amen.
