“God Will Prosper Us” Nehemiah 2:19-20

But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab heard of it, they laughed at us and despised us, and said, “What is this thing that you are doing? Will you rebel against the king?”

So I answered them, and said to them, “The God of heaven Himself will prosper us; therefore we His servants will arise and build, but you have no heritage or right or memorial in Jerusalem.” (Nehemiah 2:19-20)

 In the movie Pure Country, there is a quote by Ernest Tucker that has always stuck with me:

You GUESS? NEVER guess. I mean, you gotta KNOW what you’re doing! Otherwise, you leave yourself wide open to suggestion.  And that, to my mind is the problem with this whole country.

Nehemiah was solidly grounded in the work that God had called him to lead.  He knew precisely what he was being sent to accomplish… re-build the wall around Jerusalem.  He knew when he was supposed to begin the work… God handled the timing between Nehemiah and the king.  He knew that God had provided the materials… through the king’s provision of trees.  He knew who would support the labor at hand… God stirred the people as they declared “Let us rise up and build”.  Nehemiah was focused on the mission that he had been given.  Nehemiah would carry out the work of the Lord and no one would convince him otherwise.

Therefore, when outsiders began to question and mock Nehemiah, he was not discouraged or swayed from the work at hand.  Nehemiah didn’t hesitate or even stop to think about what he was doing.  Nehemiah KNEW what he was doing.  He had not left himself open to suggestion.

When the young servant David told Saul that he would go and kill the Philistine giant named Goliath… Saul said “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for you are a youth, and he a man of war from his youth.”  To which, David declared “The LORD, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.”  David had not left himself open to suggestion.  He would carry out the work of the Lord and no one would convince him otherwise.

On the day of Pentecost, when the apostles were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, we are told in Acts 2:13 that some mocked them and accused them of being drunk… “They are full of new wine”.  In the next 26 verses Peter raises his voice and declares the gospel resulting in about three thousand individuals being saved.  Peter had not left himself open to suggestion.  He would carry out the work of the Lord and no one would convince him otherwise.

Nehemiah found himself being mocked and the work that he had undertaken was declared to be rebellion against the king.  Nehemiah encountered mockery, misinformation, and marginalization.  Nehemiah declared… “The God of heaven Himself will prosper us; therefore we His servants will arise and build…”.  He would carry out the work of the Lord and no one would convince him otherwise.

In our news headlines today, God-fearing American patriots are encountering mockery, misinformation, and marginalization.  From the media elites to the first lady of North Carolina to celebrities across the country, insults and mis-characterizations are being delivered in a steady stream against those that uphold and value the moral foundations that America was built upon.  Do not waiver in proclaiming truth and clinging to biblical principles.  Ground yourself in prayer.  Be of one mind.  Continue in fellowship with other believers.  Know what you are doing in serving God on a daily basis.  Do not be open to suggestion by those lacking moral character.  In doing so, you will position yourself to declare “The God of heaven Himself will prosper us; therefore we His servants will arise and build.”  Build America back to its former glory of a nation of pride filled, freedom loving, god fearing, hard working patriots standing upon a foundation of moral and biblical principles where God will be free to pour out His blessings.

So they said, “Let us rise up and build.” Then they set their hands to this good work. (Nehemiah 2:18)

CountrySlicker