You Are Never Alone When You Include God

It is so easy to hear in other people a “me, myself, and I” kind of mentality. A lot of times, especially if someone is a public person, they can come across as very self-centered. They say, “My men did this. My people…my work.” We don’t know hearts, so this may be as much about our perceptions as it is about what is in someone’s heart. However, there are times when I have heard people and thought, “Wow, they are really stuck on themselves.” That works when you are flying high, but what about when what you are doing dissolves or when there is opposition? Do you take ownership of it then?

Nehemiah 4 addresses this question anecdotally with what actually happened in history. Nehemiah was burdened about the fallen walls of Jerusalem. He had left a place of prosperity in the palace of Shushan, gone back to Jerusalem, and attempted to build the wall. There was very quickly opposition. What you learn from Nehemiah’s story in chapter 4 is that you are never alone when you include God.

How did Nehemiah include God? He had a common interest. He had interest in tandem with God, a common course. He was following God’s leadership and guidance. The wall and the work both belonged to God; Nehemiah was simply a steward. You see this in two distinct ways.

First, whom did the enemy actually oppose? Verse 1 says, “But it came to pass, that when Sanballat heard that we builded the wall, he was wroth, and took great indignation, and mocked the Jews.”

He did this a couple of ways. He asked rhetorical questions. They had obvious answers, but they weren’t really the point. For instance, Sanballat asked sarcastically, “Do you think you are going to build this wall in a day?” The answer was no, but that doesn’t mean they weren’t going to build it. It is kind of like when God asked Cain, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” Well, no, he was not his brother’s babysitter, but that didn’t give him the right to murder his brother. So, just because you can’t do the work in a day and it is hard, doesn’t mean it is not worth doing or that it is not going to get done.

Don’t be discouraged. Don’t allow the enemy to ask the questions. If you define the words and take initiative in asking the questions, you own the argument before it is even begun. So, Sanballat had indignation and was angry at them. That is what the mockery was about. It wasn’t about an actual argument, but sheer hatred. Were they going to fortify themselves? Were they going to have a sacrifice without a temple? Were they going to revive the stones out of the rubbish? Another man said, “Even a light-footed fox could break down this wall they are trying to make.”

So, whom did they oppose? Nehemiah states the answer in verse 4, “Hear, O our God; for we are despised: and turn their reproach upon their own head, and give them for prey in the land of captivity.” Then in verse 5 he says, “For they have provoked thee.” They hadn’t provoked Nehemiah; they had provoked God. The only way this can happen is if you are following God’s lead, if God owns your work, if God owns your wall. If God owns you, then God owns your problems. If you own you, then your problems are all your own.

It is interesting because throughout the story you find out what people heard. Sanballat heard about the wall; then he was indignant. Later, the enemy heard that the walls of Jerusalem were made up, and they were again angry. Verse 4 says, “Hear, O God.” So, the enemy heard and God heard. The truth is when you include God, you are never alone. Whom did the enemy oppose? They did’’t oppose Nehemiah; they opposed God.

Second, who did the work? In verse 9 Nehemiah answered that question. It says, “Nevertheless we made our prayer unto our God, and set a watch.” We prayed to God and set a guard. Who is doing the work, God or the guard? In verse 14 he says to the trembling workers with him, “Be not ye afraid of them: remember the Lord, which is great and terrible, and fight for your brethren.” God is more terrible, great, and fearsome than the enemy. So, they were to remember God and fight for their brethren.

Are we to remember God or fight? The answer is yes. In verse 20 Nehemiah is giving instruction to the workers, who had swords in one hand and tools in the other. They were building and battling. There are times and places for both. Nehemiah says to the workers, “In what place therefore ye hear the sound of the trumpet, resort you thither unto us: our God shall fight for us.” So, they were to gather together to fight and God would fight for them.

Who was doing the work? God was. These were God’s enemies and it was God’s work; one was because of the other. When it is God’s work, it is God’s problem, and what a wonderful, liberating mindset to have. When you do what you can, God will do what you can’t. Today, you are never alone when you include God.