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Three things to remember when we face opposition

Nehemiah 6:1-2 (LITV)

And it happened, when it was heard by Sanballat, and Tobiah, and Geshem the Arabian, and to the rest of our enemies, that I had built the wall, and that no break was left in it though at that time I had not set up doors on the gates, Sanballat and Geshem sent to me, saying, “Come, let us meet together in the villages in the plain of Ono.” But they thought to do evil to me.

When we are serving God, it is very normal for us to face opposition.

This happens because those who benefit from things remaining as they are will do anything to stop us from changing the way things are.

For example, when we were in Chad during the Darfur refugee crisis, we observed that there were leaders, development workers and contractors who benefited from the situation on the ground.  If peace finally came to Darfur and everyone could go home, these people would lose their jobs.

How difficult it is to truly help the refugees find a solid solution when doing so causes the gatekeepers to lose their salaries.

This is not only true in Chad.  It is also true wherever there is poverty, abuse and oppression in the world.  Even in the United States.

And when we are facing a hidden group of influential leaders working against us, we must remember these three things:

1. The enemy desperately wants to negotiate with the one he fears.
   If he cannot make us cower in a corner, he will try to persuade us to get into his corner. But we must never negotiate with the one who seeks to destroy us in any way we allow him to.
2. The opposition intensifies the closer you get to a victory.
   When we feel worn down and defeated, we are much closer to a victory than we ever were before!  When our enemy is getting desperate, we are about to win.  Rest if you must, but let’s keep on pressing forward!
3. So, let opposition cause you to rejoice! Anyone can rejoice when the battle is over and we are still standing!  It takes a lot more faith to praise Him in the heat of the battle.