An Enemy of Progress

Nehemiah 6:9 "For they all wanted to frighten us, thinking, 'Their hands will drop from the work, and it will not be done.'  But now, O God, strengthen my hands."

Nehemiah has started a work to rebuild the wall of Jeruselem.  Although he answered the call, started the work, and has half of the wall built, we see his enemies trying their best to stop the progress.  Enemies of progress are usually intangeble and perceptively deceiving.  They emerge from personal thought, inexperience, low self-esteem, taunts, threats, or simply uncertainty, and they produce a crippling enemy called FEAR.  Fear is a monstrous enemy to vision or progress.  Fear cripples and in most cases will paralyze.  However, fear of anything less than God is not of God.  2 Timothy 1:7 "for God gave us a spirit NOT OF FEAR..."  If fear is allowed to run through our veins, it will consume our lives.  When fear consumes then vision is blurred and mission is paused.  Is fear an enemy to your progress?  Is fear keeping you from answering God's call on your life?  Did you know that the great Hope of Glory that is for this world, according to Colossians 1:27, is Christ in you?  This promise promotes the voice of victory...CHRIST in you.  Fear will make Christ small and make you seem big.  When you can't see Christ as the hope, you will see your limitations and inabilities.
Nemehiah taught us to ignore the voice of fear and embrace the call of God because Christ in you is doing a great work and you cannot come down to entertain the enemy of progress!  Therefore, we put our hands to work asking God to strengthen our hands, especially when voices of fear send us demands to quit!

Father, in Jesus Name, work in me.  Take away the paralysis that has kept me from answering Your extrordinary call on my life.  Please grow in me a passion and vision to commit to such a great work that I will NOT come down.  Whatever It Takes, I'm Ready to GO!