Wall-Builder

I have been reading through Nehemiah lately.  Good stuff.  I am sure many people who read Nehemiah find a way to relate it to their own lives, and that’s exactly what I have been doing. 

Nehemiah learns that the walls of Jerusalem, his home town, have been broken down.  He prays and with God’s direction, goes to Jerusalem with a group of faithful friends, to repair the broken walls. 

Even before he started building, there were people who doubted, discouraged and tried to stop him.  However, Nehemiah stayed on task.

Life can be daunting.  God has each one of us on a specific track.  He really, truly does have a plan for our life (Jeremiah 29:11.)  He wants good for us.  He wants to prosper us and not harm us.  Each one of us has a HOPE and a FUTURE.  So, it’s no wonder that the enemy of our soul tries to sneak in with doubt, discouragement and opposition.

I happen to really struggle with certain math concepts.  I’d love to say that is the only thing in life I struggle with….but, that is certainly not the case.  It is, however, what bummed me out yesterday.

My 15 year old was in need of help with her geometry.  I was looking through the teacher’s solution guide to try to give her some clues.  However, NONE of it made a drop of sense to me and the more I tried to “help,” the worse it got.

Thankfully, Kourtney was patient with me.  I seriously had no clue what any of it meant.  This is why her Geometry teacher lives inside the computer (online class)….and I don’t personally try to teach this subject.  She plowed through, figured it out, and her brilliant Dad helped her when he got home. 

I, on the other hand, started to go down a very negative path in my head.  I began believing the lies of the enemy hook, line and sinker.  You know what I’m talking about.  The doubt, the discouragement, the thoughts that would make me want to stop doing the job that God has called me to do.  It wasn’t just about my lack of Geometry-understanding.  I felt attacked in every aspect of who I am. Every single aspect.

Nehemiah experienced the same thing.  Sanballat, Tobiah and their cronies all started attacking Nehemiah and the faithful wall-builders.  When discouragement didn’t stop them, their enemies began physically attacking them.  Nehemiah and the men with him literally had to build the wall with one hand on the wall and the other hand fighting off the bad guys with spears and shields, bows and armor. (Neh. 4:16)

I guess I’m always aware of the fact that a godly life will bring about opposition.  Maybe I just forget that homeschooling and raising up godly children is a whole lot like building walls.  These incredible daughters that God has entrusted Jeff and me with are a big threat to the enemy.  The naysayer in my head would love nothing more than for me to stop building these girls up….for me to believe that I am too dumb, unorganized, incompetent, etc.  If I stop doing the job God called me to do, then wouldn’t that make Satan so happy?  I can just see him doing a victory dance.

I’m so thankful for God’s reminder that what I am doing really does matter.  I need to keep one hand on the wall and the other hand wielding my sword, which is God’s Word.  I have to defend what God has put on my heart to do and brace myself with truth!

 

Blessed are you, God of Israel, our father from of old and forever.

To you, O God, belong the greatness and the might,

The glory, the victory, the majesty, the splendor;

Yes! Everything in heaven, everything on earth;

The kingdom all yours! You’ve raised yourself high over all.

Riches and glory come from you,

You’re ruler over all;

You hold strength and power in the palm of your hand

To build up and strengthen all.

And here we are, O God, our God, giving thanks to you.

Praising your splendid Name.

 

I Chronicles 29:11-13 (MSG)