When the praises stop!

TEXT:

‘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

THOUGHT:

Jerusalem was in a mess; walls flattened, gates destroyed by fire; and its inhabitants living in fear and disarray. God sent Nehemiah to rebuild the city and make it secure. Although he had this God-given vision and the Persian king’s resources, he still needed the help of the people of Jerusalem. He could not do it without them.

Sharing his vision about how God had intervened, rallied the people to make a start. Nehemiah got each one to rebuild the wall on the outside of their property. Others living outside of Jerusalem came to help too, but the message was clear. Failing to protect their own home meant the enemy would have an easier access into the city and their house would be the first to be attacked, endangering everyone else’s. What we do will either help or hinder God’s people and the work of the local church.

Jesus taught that listening to and obeying His words would ensure a true foundation that could withstand any storm – Matthew 7:24-27.

The vast majority saw the sense of Nehemiah’s vision and began the task of rebuilding with energy and enthusiasm, (although some did not) – Nehemiah 3:5.

A few weeks into the project people got discouraged and the reasons why form the basis for Today’s Teaching – “When the praises stop!”

• When the praises stop we start focussing on the problems rather than the solutions – ‘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”’

Judah means “Praise”. That name was given by Leah, for she said, “Now I will praise the Lord” – Genesis 29:35. Unloved because Jacob loved Rachel more, Leah had been blessed by God with four children and it was now time to forget the heartache of the past and start praising the Lord. It is always a dangerous time when discouragement sets in and we stop praising the Lord. Tiredness, difficulties and the amount of work still needing to be done are unavoidable with any vision but praise makes it manageable and achievable, for we remind ourselves and others that we are workers together with God. But when the praises stop, our eyes come off God and onto ourselves and the opposition we are facing. The fear of failure replaces the assurance of success. Has your voice stopped praising God and is now talking the problems and difficulties?

• When the praises stop we will hear the enemy talking – ‘Meanwhile, our enemies were saying, “Before they know what’s happening, we will swoop down on them and kill them and end their work.” The Jews who lived near the enemy came and told us again and again, “They will come from all directions and attack us!”’ – Nehemiah 4:11-12

Praise-less churches and Christians are easy prey for the devil. This is why the Bible encourages Christians to make their requests to God with thanksgiving – Philippians 4:6; in everything give thanks – 1 Thessalonians 5:18; and to remember that all things are working together for good – Romans 8:28. What have you heard the devil saying about you? “You are no good, you cannot do it, the vision is going to fail and it will all come to nothing”. Remember that God is always true and the devil is a liar.

• When the praises stop it is time for God-appointed leaders to stand up and speak words of faith

When Nehemiah spoke it reminded the people about previous experiences and victories. The vision to rebuild the temple had come to a halt, but Haggai and Zechariah prophesied and stirred the people back into action. So it was with Nehemiah. Many times he kept the work going with wise words and faith-building statements such as, “Remember the Lord great and awesome” – 4:14; “Our God will fight for us – 4:20; and “O God strengthen” – 6:9. If he had not done this, he would have returned to his king with a tale of failure. Thank God when he did return he had a much better report to give.

Many Christians undervalue the importance of God-appointed leadership, but not the devil. He understands this statement, ‘Strike the Shepherd and the sheep will be scattered’ prophesied during the rebuilding of the temple by Zechariah – 13:7. It was re-iterated by Jesus on the night before his crucifixion. Thank God, leaders with faith are more than a match for the devil, through the name of Jesus and the Word of God.

The people of Jerusalem rejoiced over the completion of the rebuilding programme. The city was made secure in record time and it was the enemy who got discouraged – Nehemiah 6:15-16

That is the way God wants it to be today. That is what God wants for your life too! Have you lost your song of praise? Are you focussed on the problem rather that the solution – God Himself?

It’s time to get praising again and get working!