FIGHT!

My read-through-the-Bible-in-one-year plan has now brought me to the book of Nehemiah. I came across a particular verse today that I just had to share with you!

“Don’t be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your families, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes.”

– Nehemiah 4:14b

Nehemiah had a dream. He wanted to see the walls of the city of his people rebuilt. When he was going about this task, he faced countless obstacles and attacks. One of those obstacles came in the form of two naysayers named Sanballat and Tobiah. They ridiculed the Jews in their work and mocked them persistently. When the Jews continued on despite their efforts, though, Sanballat and Tobiah upped their game and came out to fight. It was at this point that the Jews started to get discouraged. They suddenly doubted that they could really rebuild these walls.

Nehemiah knew it was time for an epic pep talk, and out of that talk comes the verse I posted above. Fight! Fight for your families! Fight for your homes! How inspiring is that? Inspiring enough to make an impression, because the children of Israel were soon back to work on the walls that they would eventually complete.

You may not be laying bricks on a physical wall today, but we all have “walls” that we know we’ve been called to complete. Just as much as we all surely have dreams like Nehemiah, we will certainly be “graced” with our own Sanballats and Tobiahs, as well. Adversaries come and go, but they all have the same traits – they mock, they discourage, and when that doesn’t work, they play dirty. Today, let’s listen to Nehemiah’s words and let them encourage us, as well: FIGHT! Fight for your families! Fight for your homes!

Don’t give up! The dream you have is worth fighting for!