Ye see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lieth waste, and the gates thereof are burned with fire: come, and let us build up the wall of Jerusalem. – Nehemiah 2:17
I like the story of Nehemiah because he stayed encouraged even when his circumstances were discouraging. When Nehemiah asked about the state of the Children of Israel, he was told that the Israelites were under great affliction, and that Jerusalem had been destroyed. Later, he saw for himself that the walls of the city were broken down and the gates had been consumed with fire.
This was a difficult time, no doubt. Nehemiah could have sat down and allowed discouragement to overcome him, but instead, he did some praying. He looked at the broken and devastated city walls and, by the grace of God, believed that the Lord could do something about it. He dared to believe and expect.
I appreciate the attitude of people like Nehemiah, who simply will not allow discouragement to stop them. He expected the wall to be rebuilt some day. He expected that the gates would be closed and the enemy confounded; God would prove Himself. And it happened!
We do not make much progress in the Gospel if all we see is discouragement. God does not want us to be discouraged, but sometimes it is easy to focus on our problems so much that we cannot see God. A little bit of discouragement can creep in and become a high wall in front of us. We need to look beyond the problem and instead look at the Problem Solver. We have to look away from the impossibilities and look to God, who is able to bring all things to pass.
You might believe you have a right to be discouraged, but there is a better way. You can set your eyes on something else. The promises in the Word of God are still fully vibrant, and by the grace of God we can step out in faith and be instrumental as God performs the impossible!
Today, let’s look at the possibilities through God. We have every reason to be confident.