“And I looked, and arose and said to the nobles, to the leaders, and to the rest of the people, “Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, great and awesome, and fight for your brethren, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses.” And it happened, when our enemies heard that it was known to us, and that God had brought their plot to nothing, that all of us returned to the wall, everyone to his work.”

‭‭Nehemiah‬ ‭4:14-15‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

In the story of Nehemiah, the rebuilding of the wall stopped progressing when the people began to fear. Judah described it this way: “…The strength of the laborers is failing, and there is so much rubbish that we are not able to build the wall.””

‭‭Nehemiah‬ ‭4:10‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

While the “rubbish” may have been physical, there was certainly mental rubbish in the form of confusion, fear, and discouragement. 

Nehemiah’s solution was simple:

Don’t fear! 

Remember!

Fight! 

In this passage, the word for remember is zâkar: to mention; to be mindful of, to bring to remembrance and think on. The act of remembering in this verse is intentional – stop and think about only HIM! Think about His goodness and His power. Recount what He’s done. Rehearse it. Call it to mind. 

Then, once you’re infused with faith from the act of remembering, fight – lāḥam- stand in the battle line, join in the battle and fight to protect those behind you. 

When we remember WHO He is and whose we are, it’s easy to find the courage to stand up, stand firm, and fight. Our strength is found in Him alone – not in our weapons and not in our rights – but in Him alone. He’s too good to leave us alone. He is our great champion and mighty warrior, and when I am on His side, I cannot fail. 

Father – thank You for Your Word and for Your truth. Thank You for encouraging me today. You are good and You keep doing good. Your leadership in my life is perfect and You can be trusted. Amen. 

Daily Reading: Nehemiah 1-5

September 26, 2022