Spiritual Warfare (Three Of Four)

So far I did a post introducing this subject and then I dealt with distractions yesterday…today I want to take a look at the second round of warfare…

Discouragement!

We see Nehemiah reply in a classic way to all of the distractions in Nehemiah 6:3-4, but in Nehemiah 6:5-9 the enemy tries the discouragement route.

We see in this passage that the enemy sends an open letter (this meant anyone could read it and would probably be equal to an attack blog in today’s world.)  The enemy tried to use a flat out lie…and I am almost positive that when Nehemiah read it his heart sank just a tad.  We see him actually ask God for strength in Nehemiah 6:9 because I am thinking he was discouraged.

Life can be discouraging…things such as…

• We eat well and exercise, yet the tests that the doctors ran show something abnormal.
• We raise our kids the best we know how and they begin making decisions that absolutely break our hearts.
• We’re single, everyone else is getting married and we KNOW we’re better looking!!!  :-)  We seriously feel like something is wrong with us because the clock is ticking and there is no one in sight!
• We are trying to get ahead financially and are doing well until the car breaks down and there just isn’t a way out of this without taking on more debt.
• A friend promises us they will come to church–we wait for them outside and they never show–we are so tempted to give up on them.
• We work with standards and ethics…yet those who seem to lie and compromise always seem to get the raise and promotion ahead of us and we wonder is this worth it.

Folks…LIFE HAPPENS.  I really do wish that bad things happened to bad people and good things happened to good people…but that just isn’t the way the universe is wired.  That is why we must constantly do two things…

#1 - Remember that God is MUCH bigger than our current set of circumstances.

This was huge for me back in May when Lucretia and I found out there were some possible complications with Charisse’s amniotic fluid…and we had to wait for several hours while doctors tried to determine whether or not that there might be any long term effects.  I wrestled with this–HARD…until God reminded me that He loves her more than I ever will…and that HE IS IN CONTROL.  The enemy tried BIG TIME to discourage me…it’s a powerful weapon he has.

#2 - Continually pray what Nehemiah prayed in verse nine, “Now strengthen my hands!”

Is anything discouraging you?  Remember–God’s GOT IT!  IN FACT, He had it before the foundations of the world were put into place–He’s that AWESOME!