Opening from Richard Foster: “But these theological niceties, (like God is always with us), are of little help to us when we enter the Sahara of the heart. Here we experience real spiritual desolation. We feel abandoned by friends, spouse, and God. Every hope evaporates the moment we reach for it. Every dream dies the moment we try to realize it. We question, we doubt, we struggle. Nothing helps. We pray and the words seem empty. We turn to the Bible and find it meaningless. WE turn to music and it fails to move us. We seek the fellowship of other Christians and discover only backbiting, selfishness and egoism.

Plain Truth: Suffering often births Vision and Success.

1) Nehemiah’s vision came from Israel’s pain of exile.

2) Nehemiah knew we could choose to be bitter or blessed.

3) Nehemiah’s prayers equipped him to be proactive instead of reactive.

4) Nehemiah knew when you bear fruit others will be frightened.

5) Nehemiah refreshed the vision that when we repair the weak places God strengthens us in the struggle.

6) What stands between your success or failure is your fear.

Richard Foster says, “whatever you do don’t put it in reverse, neutral is okay for now, stay in prayer, keep coming to worship, read scripture, seek ways you can do acts of kindness---yes even when you don’t feel like it. But don’t retreat, put it in neutral until it is time when you are ready to come of the desert and put it into first gear.