Nehemiah arrived in Jerusalem and immediately met with opposition. Sanballat and Tobiah were greatly displeased that anyone would dare to come and check on the people of Israel. As a result, Nehemiah wisely kept his intentions to himself. The first thing he did was secretly survey the situation. This involved going out at night to look at the actual condition of the walls. He checked the walls. He inspected the gates. He wanted to know specifically what needed to be done.

Dealing with opposition

As we seek to build our homes, the very first thing we should expect is opposition. It can come from many places.

One of the hardest to deal with is our own self doubts. If you have struggled and failed more than once, you probably assume that you will do it again. But we are Israel! We are overcomers! We have been called by YHVH to build strong homes and families. The woman sets the tone and ties the family together, and she was equipped by YHVH to do this job. Remember where your strength comes from and expect success!

Another difficult enemy is Satan and his cohorts. He hates families. He hates children. He hates when YHVH’s people try to fulfill their callings. He will attack you, and if you expect it and are prepared, you will be the better for it. Remember that the God we serve is the One True God. Everyone answers to Him, including Satan. Claim His strength and power, and the power of the Messiah. He will deliver you.

Don’t be discouraged by those that would tease or put you down for making an effort to change. You may have fallen on your face in the past, but you got back up. You tried again. You will succeed.

Survey the situation

Hopefully, you have been following along in our study of Nehemiah, and have taken time for prayer and repentance, as well as sought the advice of someone you trust. Hopefully, they helped you determine a starting point, or one place where you could make a significant change. Now is the time to survey the situation. If you have been working specifically on your home, the following is a good way to proceed. Take a piece of paper on a clipboard, and walk through your house. Write down anything that you see as a problem. Are there rooms in your home that are just never clean? Is the laundry system constantly breaking down? Are there areas of clutter that are frustrating you? Write all these down, and then go back to that trusted person to get help with prioritizing. You can’t take on everything at once. Life is a journey, and change happens a little at a time. Together, decide on one project that can be tackled. Try to pick a project that would have a big impact on the flow of everyday life. Big priority areas in most homes are the kitchen and laundry room, because they impact everyone on a daily basis. That is why meal planning had such an impact at my house. Bathe every decision in prayer. This is your home and your life and your family. Someone who wrote a book about chores or time management is not going to know what your family needs. But YHVH does!

If you are tackling a situation not necessarily attached to your physical home, such as a financial situation, etc., take the time to write it down as well. It’s important to know exactly where you are and what problems need to be handled. Then you can prayerfully decide what to do first and how to proceed.

Once Nehemiah had checked out the physical walls and gates, he came back to the Jews that were in Jerusalem at the time.

You see the trouble we are in, how Jerusalem lies in ruins with its gates burned. Come, let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer suffer derision.

The time for action had arrived. Preparations had been made. Everything had been bathed in prayer. But Sanballat and Tobiah again met him with opposition. So Nehemiah simply responded with:

The God of heaven will make us prosper, and we his servants will arise and build, but you have no portion or right or claim in Jerusalem.

YHVH will prosper you as you seek to build your home and family. He may send you to the laundry room or the checkbook or the grocery store. May He bless you this week as you seek to please Him. Please take the time to share with us how your Nehemiah journey is going. We would love to hear about it.