Hello Everyone,

Read with me: Nehemiah 4:7-10

⁷ But when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites and the men of Ashdod heard that the repairs to Jerusalem’s walls had gone ahead and that the gaps were being closed, they were very angry. ⁸ They all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and stir up trouble against it. ⁹ But we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat.

¹⁰ 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.”

Here we find the first discouraging words in this book. And depression and discouragement will come to you if you try to accomplish anything in life. As the people of God were rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem, the men of Judah became very discouraged.

First there is The Curse of discouragement—it’s the devil’s #1 tool he uses to try to get you out of the game! Out of church to give up on life.

Satan tries to discourage people in their finances…even if you tithe! Or your children, even tho’ you bring them up in church. Or, thru problems in ministry at church. Or thru physical problems.

Discouragement doesn’t discriminate. Even the best Christians are under its power at times.

Ill.—C. H. Spurgeon, the prince of preachers, was given to depression and discouragement. He said, “I would not wish upon my worst enemy the depths of despair and discouragement I often feel for weeks or months at a time.”

John Wesley was also given to discouragement. He married poorly, the wrong woman. There were times she would drag him around the house by the hair! [That only happen once at my house then I’d shave my head!]

In v. 10 Judah was the chief tribe, the leaders among the nation, the cream of the crop! It was these that said, ‘we can’t do it, we can’t continue.’

You’re not lacking faith because you get discouraged…only if you stay that way!

One person said “If getting saved is the end of troubles then it’s the front end!” But now God is on your side to help you up, and to stretch you and help you grow thru it all.

Or, maybe you want it easy, and want heaven on earth. Jesus carried His cross, and you must carry yours.

Another part of the Curse of Discouragement is that, Discouragement is debilitating. It will stop you dead in your tracks. ‘Anyone can do more than a man who has lost heart!’

ill.—back in the days of horse-drawn wagons, a man was hauling logs. On a hill the horses couldn’t make it, and gave up. He unloaded half the wagon, but they still wouldn’t try…he emptied it completely, but still they had given up! They were utterly discouraged. They gave up and wouldn’t try!

Some do this with their marriage, their children, their church!

But that’s not what God wants. He wants us to stay in the game, put our shoulder to the wheel, keep trying, and keep trusting!

Greater Things Are Still To Come!

Pastor Phil