I’d rather stand with God and be judged by the world than stand with the world and be judged by God.
Here’s a progress report: “The walls of Jerusalem were being restored and the gaps were beginning to be closed” (Neh 4:7). Of course this stirred up a hornet’s nest with their detractors, “and all of them conspired together to come and attack Jerusalem and create confusion” (v 8). Long before James penned the words, Nehemiah knew that faith was crucial, but faith without works is dead. So, he writes of their two-pronged solution, “we made our prayer to our God, and because of them we set a watch against them day and night” (v 9). But there was another problem, this one closer to home. “Then Judah said, ‘The strength of the laborers is failing, and there is so much rubbish that we are not able to build the wall’” (v 10). And, said Judah, the rubble isn’t only impeding our work. Our adversaries are planning an ambush, and all this rubble will provide the perfect places to hide, for the enemy “told us ten times, ‘From whatever place you turn, they will be upon us’” (v 12). Imagine how hard it must have been to work with your backs to the enemy, trying to concentrate on the project, but spooked by every noise! But Nehemiah wasn’t going to be dissuaded that easily. “So it was, from that time on, that half of my servants worked at construction, while the other half held the spears, the shields, the bows, and wore armor” (v 16). In addition, those actually up on the wall “loaded themselves so that with one hand they worked at construction, and with the other held a weapon” (v 17). Does this sound familiar? Christian, you do it every day! We build and battle. We are fellow-servants and fellow-soldiers. What was their battle cry? “Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, great and awesome!” (v 14). How can we forget?