Meanwhile, the people in Judah said, “The strength of the laborers is giving out, and there is so much rubble that we cannot rebuild the wall.” (Nehemiah 4:10)
Stress induced by combat, or even the threat of combat, is not a new development. Terminology to identify the condition has changed, but the effects have been around for a long time. A common name used today is Post Traumatic Stress (PTS)..
Over 2500 years ago, Nehemiah was leading the effort to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, spiritual headquarters for Israel. Progress went well up until the halfway point. Then leaders from a few small surrounding nations that felt threatened by Israel’s potential resurgence banded together to oppose Nehemiah.
Their initial strategy consisted of intimidation through a series of threatening messages, most of which were lies. The enemy’s tactics began working. Sizable numbers of Israeli citizens became fearful about the future and started to lose hope. Fortunately, Nehemiah chose to trust God. He saw through the enemy’s strategy and helped the workers to remain focused on the mission.
Be like Nehemiah. Don’t let someone’s threats stop you. Trust God and stay focused on your mission. The Lord will help you.
