A Year of Restoration

This year I see God restoring ministries that have been forgotten. There are necessary parts of the body that will begin to rise up and take their place in the ranks. Like stones we will all rise to become the city of God. Some who have been discouraged will be strengthened, and some who have been distracted from the vision God gave them will remember the vision. It is a year of hope and strength. There are some crucial truths for us to learn from the story of Nehemiah.

The enemy will try to discourage us.

Nehemiah 4:2- He spoke in the presence of his brothers and the wealthy men of Samaria and said, "What are these feeble Jews doing? Are they going to restore it for themselves? Can they offer sacrifices? Can they finish in a day? Can they revive the stones from the dusty rubble even the burned ones?"

As we begin to do what God has called us to enemies will try to discourage and ridicule us.

Nehemiah 4:17- Those who were rebuilding the wall and those who carried burdens took their load with one hand doing the work and the other holding a weapon.

When they heard the gaps were being closed the enemy came to try again to discourage this. Filling the gaps represents intercession. Many are rising to the call of intercession and the enemy will try to discourage this. But, they posted a guard day and night (vs 9). They did work with one hand and carried a sword in the other. They were praying in the gap and advancing the Kingdom at the same time. We can have a tendency to either hide behind prayer when we are called to act, or we focus so much on action that we neglect prayer. Both are needed to build the kingdom. Unless the Gospel is preached people will not hear, but prayer is the fuel for the fire of anointed preaching. The early church leaders gave themselves to both prayer and preaching (Acts 6).

The enemy will try to distract us.

Nehemiah 6:10- When I entered the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah, son of Mehetabel, who was confined at home, he said, "Let us meet together in the house of God, within the temple, and let us close the doors of the temple, for they are coming to kill you, and they are coming to kill you at night."

A coward tried to get Nehemiah to hide in the Temple. We have a tendency to hide in the walls of the Church when it is time to go out and fight. God is calling us to go out and build the kingdom, but the enemy is trying to persuade us to hide our light inside the safety of a church building. It is time to be strong in the Lord. When the voices of discouragement came it says that Nehemiah strengthened himself in the Lord. This is the year of hope and strength from the Lord. Let Him fill you with strength and vision, then be bold to step out.