New Day, New Year, and New Beginnings - 31 Days of Fresh StartsSample

Opposition...

Those who built on the wall, and those who carried burdens, loaded themselves so that with one hand they worked at construction, and with the other held a weapon.
Nehemiah 4:17 NKJV

Nehemiah, the Hebrew cupbearer to the Persian King Artaxerxes, has been told that the walls surrounding Jerusalem have broken down and its gates burned with fire since the Israelites’ exile and captivity. Nehemiah asks the King if he can return to his homeland and rebuild the walls and gates. Once again, it is one of the re words we find so often in God’s Word.

So, Nehemiah gets the go-ahead, and with multitudes of those once in captivity in Jerusalem, they begin the rebuilding process. But their endeavor to revitalize and repair the walls, making them new again, is opposed. Greatly opposed. Let’s take note for ourselves.

Truly, almost any time God calls us into a new behavior, path, or way of thinking, it will be earnestly challenged by one or more of these things:

• Ourselves: We are just so entrenched in what we’ve been doing.
• Others: Our making a new choice can threaten those around us.
• The World: Current culture, even Christian culture, can oppose what God asks of you.
• The Adversary: The devil and his demons hate anything Jesus is doing—and they hate you, too, oh image-bearer of the King!

Take notes from Nehemiah. When challenged by his enemies, he didn’t falter one bit. He commanded the workers to keep building on the one hand but battling the opposition with the other. So, who or what is opposing you? Take time to ponder this. Ask the Holy Spirit for a specific word from His Word to strengthen you. Then, rebuild and battle in the Holy Spirit’s power and the authority of the Scriptures. Walk into that new path.