Be Encouraged

“Then the people of Judah began to complain, “The workers are getting tired, and there is so much rubble to be moved. We will never be able to build the wall by ourselves.””

Nehemiah 4:10 NLT

Nehemiah has a job to do in which not only entailed rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem, but to encourage those who have been discouraged. We see Discouragement comes when we become overwhelmed or oppressed by something negative in our lives. Stress, anxiety and even depression consume us in a powerful way. Sometimes we don’t even know where it came from or how we got to this dark lonely place. Encouraging others when it is not you who is unhappy is so easy to do, because when you’re the one who is discouraged it is harder for you to accept hope. When you’re encouraged, everything for you is great and peaceful.

Nehemiah had a great task to do and it was to encourage the people from the tribe of Judah to rebuild its city walls. The city was found in rubbish and ruins. One thing I find interesting is that the tribe of Judah was supposed to be the most powerful army of people. The tribe of Judah was the tribe from where our Messiah (Jesus) would come from. So they had every means to feel proud and encouraged, but that was not the case here. 

There are times when our very own lives are filled with ruins and rubbish. There are times in when we are so discouraged by life or our surroundings, we have a hard time bouncing back up again. Sometimes when we started out what we thought was strong, was not strong at all because we possibly might of been holding on to something that was not good for us at the moment. It could be our past, fear, a broken relationship, our own insecurities that are deep down buried. All this is ruins and rubbish, so how can something be built on that? It will not last because that foundation is not strong enough to support it.

 “Unless the Lord builds a house, the work of the builders is wasted. Unless the Lord protects a city, guarding it with sentries will do no good.”

Psalms 127:1 NLT

So if our lives aren’t built on the ROCK, then we will continue to have ruins, rubbish, and be unhappy, filled with discouragement and depressed. We will be living but not living in our purpose in which is even scarier. You do not want God to find you NOT doing his will or purpose. Do not let the enemy come before you with his tricks and fool you to think you are on solid foundation, when you still are holding to certain things you needed to let go of a long time ago. 

Remember that this battle isn’t just for you to fight alone. “It isn’t by force or strength, but by my spirit says the Lord.” Zechariah 4:6. 

BE ENCOURAGED!

Written by Mairyn Paredes