Opposition To Building Walls | Nehemiah 2:9-10

Then I came to the governors of the province Beyond the River and gave them the king's letters. Now the king had sent with me officers of the army and horsemen. But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite servant heard this, it displeased them greatly that someone had come to seek the welfare of the people of Israel. — Nehemiah 2:9-10 SHOUT OUT: Mark from Woodbury Wealth Management in Woodbury, MN. Who supports the work we do here. Men like you keep us going. I appreciate your faithfulness, brother. In this narrative, we jump from Nehemiah serving comfortably as cupbearer in the palace to Nehemiah serving as a courageous governor facing daunting challenges in his campaign to Jerusalem. He has already made the trek from the palace to the province toward his homeland. We learn that King Artaxerxes has provided him with additional military protection: some officers and horsemen. Instantly, Nehemiah senses that Sanballat and Tobiah, two other governors, are displeased that the King has gotten behind him. As we stated a few lessons back, there have been two other Jewish rebuilding campaigns. Zerubbabel rebuilt the temple in Jerusalem. And Ezra, who re-engaged God's people in the Word of God. Both met with their opposition, and these governors did not want Nehemiah to build a fortifying wall around Jerusalem. A wall would only serve to minimize their agenda and strengthen the position of Jews. Just as Nehemiah faced opposition in his time, this timeless struggle echoes in our time, from the southern border to the tense boundaries of Israel, Ukraine, and Taiwan, where similar battles of interest and ideology are being fought. For one party, fortification protects interests, and for others, fortification prevents interests. And so the conflict continues and will till the day this time comes to an end. But let's not forget that these border battles don't start as international contentions. They are battles that develop because we have lost our way. We have failed to protect the boundaries of our character, marriages, and children. And one compromise at a time, men, marriages, families, churches, communities, and nations become corrupt. We make compromise after compromise until our leaders become so corrupt they sell their influence to serve their self-interests, and those self-interests turn them into enemies of God until righteousness and character are completely compromised and until nations are dissolved. This is how this all works, so we should not be surprised. But once in a while, a humble man of God arises in this tension. One man who still wants to do God's bidding. Sometimes, he is a lowly cupbearer. And his life is not one of immense glory. It is one of nothing but opposition. Every day, he lives on edge. And he understands the battle is not physical. It is spiritual. And the opposition hates God and God's agenda. And this man who loves God so much he is willing to suffer the opposition because a few souls might know the glory of God. So what say you? Will you humbly lean into the opposition today? ASK THIS: In what ways do you relate to Nehemiah's journey from a comfortable position to facing significant challenges? Discuss a time when you were called out of your comfort zone to stand for what is right, and how did your faith guide you through it? Nehemiah’s story illustrates the conflict between personal interest and the greater good. Reflect on current global or local issues where this conflict is evident. How can we apply the lessons of Nehemiah to navigate these challenges while maintaining our integrity and faith? DO THIS: Name your opposition and lean into it with godly character. PRAY THIS: Lord, grant me the courage and steadfastness of Nehemiah to face the challenges and oppositions in my own life with faith and integrity. Help me to remember that, in every action and decision, I am building walls not just around my own life, but also in the lives of those I influence, guiding us towards Your righteousness and glory. Amen. PLAY THIS: Every Giant Will Fall. Check out other all Vince Miller's videos and audios for small groups at: https://beresolute.org/ Get Vince's most widely read resources The Daily Devotional at: https://beresolute.org/mdd Check out more ALL IN products like the one Vince is wearing at: https://beresolute.org/product-category/all-in-hats/ ____________________________________________________________________________________ Connect with Vince socially: FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/millervince INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/vinceleemiller LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vincemiller TWITTER: https://twitter.com/vinceleemiller