Monday - When You Start Building, They Show Up
"But it came to pass, that when Sanballat heard that we were building the wall, he was wroth, and took great indignation, and mocked the Jews.”
— Nehemiah 4:1
"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour."
—1 Peter 5:8
Nehemiah hadn't even finished the first section of wall when Sanballat heard about it and erupted in fury. Not after the project was complete. Not halfway through. At the very beginning, the moment the people said "let us rise up and build." That is a pattern worth noticing.
The enemy is not particularly threatened by people sitting in the rubble. He is comfortable with complacency. What disturbs him is movement: when God's people stop accepting broken things and start picking up a trowel. The opposition in Nehemiah 4 was not a sign that something had gone wrong. It was a sign that something had gone right.
If you are facing resistance in something you believe God has called you to, do not automatically assume you have made a mistake. Sometimes the loudness of the opposition is simply the measure of the threat you pose. Dr. Bob Jones Sr. used to say, "The doors of success often swing on the hinges of opposition." The wall going up was exactly what God intended. The critics showing up was proof it mattered.
Reflected
Have you ever mistaken opposition for a sign to quit, when it may have actually been a confirmation to continue?
- What would it mean today to pick up your trowel again?
— Nehemiah 4:1
"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour."
—1 Peter 5:8
Nehemiah hadn't even finished the first section of wall when Sanballat heard about it and erupted in fury. Not after the project was complete. Not halfway through. At the very beginning, the moment the people said "let us rise up and build." That is a pattern worth noticing.
The enemy is not particularly threatened by people sitting in the rubble. He is comfortable with complacency. What disturbs him is movement: when God's people stop accepting broken things and start picking up a trowel. The opposition in Nehemiah 4 was not a sign that something had gone wrong. It was a sign that something had gone right.
If you are facing resistance in something you believe God has called you to, do not automatically assume you have made a mistake. Sometimes the loudness of the opposition is simply the measure of the threat you pose. Dr. Bob Jones Sr. used to say, "The doors of success often swing on the hinges of opposition." The wall going up was exactly what God intended. The critics showing up was proof it mattered.
Reflected
Have you ever mistaken opposition for a sign to quit, when it may have actually been a confirmation to continue?
- What would it mean today to pick up your trowel again?
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2026
January
Thursday - Watch and Stay ReadyFriday - Home with the KingTuesday - The Bible is God's Love Letter To UsWednesday - Two are better than oneThursday - All ScriptureFriday - Prayer is EssentialMonday - This Is RightTuesday - Honor Your Father and MotherWednesday - Teach Them DiligentlyThursday - Provoke Not Your Children to WrathFriday - A Legacy of FaithMonday - Enlisting in God's ArmyTuesday - Be Strong in the LordWednesday - Recognizing the Real EnemyThursday - Stand FirmFriday - Soldier of the CrossMonday - Truth Holds Everything TogetherTuesday - Guard Your HeartWednesday - Standing Firm with PeaceThursday - Shielded by FaithFriday - Protect Your Mind and Fight Back with the Word
February
Monday - Prayer Isn’t OptionalTuesday - Praying AlwaysWednesday - Pray SpecificallyThursday - Power of PrayerFriday - Don’t Quit PrayingMonday - Preserved by GodTuesday - My Will vs. Thy WillWednesday - Our Salvation From SinMonday - Ordinary DaysTuesday - A Comfortable Man Who Still CaredWednesday - When The News Breaks YouThursday - From Tears to PrayerFriday - Before God Rebuilds the WallMonday - Prayer Requires PatienceTuesday - Prayer Begins With RepentanceWednesday - Prayer Stands on ScriptureThursday - Prayer Multiplies and SpreadsFriday - From Talking About Prayer to Actually Praying
March
Monday - When God Is Working and You Can't See ItTuesday - God Moves In His TimeWednesday - When The Door Opens Step ThroughThursday - Asking BoldlyFriday - Recognizing God's HandMonday - God is the SourceTuesday - God's Word Nourishes Spiritual GrowthWednesday - Accepted in ChristThursday - The Quiet ChaptersFriday - OppositionMonday - Facing Honest RealityTuesday - The Power of ParticipationWednesday - Recognizing God’s HandThursday - Courage in the Face of OppositionFriday - Restored to BuildMonday - The Power of CommunityTuesday - Your Unique Contribution MattersWednesday - Unity in DiversityThursday - Finding Your Place on the WallFriday - Vision Requires ActionMonday - Is it I?Tuesday - Nothing Is Hidden From Jesus
April
Wednesday - The Danger of Slow DriftThursday - You Have a ChoiceFriday - Choose the CrossMonday - The Weight of SinTuesday - The Cost of SinWednesday - The Depth of God’s LoveThursday - The Victory of the ResurrectionFriday - Your Response to the CrossMonday - A Man After God’s HeartTuesday - The One Nobody ConsideredWednesday - The Lord Was With HimThursday - Faithful Under AuthorityFriday - When Worship Changes the AtmosphereMonday - An "Other Side" MentalityTuesday - Reactions to the StormWednesday - Faith Over FearThursday - Confidence in His Care
2025
January
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