Shirley Said: Don't Let the Enemy Stop the Work!

Parts of Nehemiah Chapter 4
May 2025 Blog

By: Pastor Joyce Picker

Lately I was reminiscing about my dear friend Shirley Mendelson-Stuart. I was thinking about all the years of ministry we shared together. Shirley came into our lives and taught us so much. She was a faithful and loyal servant in the Body of Messiah and served as an Elder. She was truly a dear lifelong friend. She was so deep when she studied the Word. She went on to be with the Lord a few years ago. More than once, she told me that God had her in the Book of Nehemiah 4. There are so many lessons and so much stuff in there she would say.  But only recently, after all these years, God now has me in the Book of Nehemiah 4! So, I want to share my knowledge and what He is saying to me and also, I will add a little bit of Shirley’s words too!

In Chapter 3, the building of the wall was going on but was incomplete. Believers worked together to accomplish many things. God puts us in the Body of Messiah together to accomplish things. We learn how to follow, lead and work together with one heart and one mind. Shirley could lead well but she was excellent at following directions. Nehemiah was an effective leader because he made each man accountable for his work. How many of you know we are and will be held accountable for everything we do? He knew where to start. Here is a lesson for us, he began with the spiritual aspect of the work and consecrating everything to God. That is one of many lessons we must learn. How many times do we begin with the natural aspects of something without even considering the spiritual ones? Nehemiah was a good leader because he was willing to let people try new things, he made people focus on their house first. He was a good leader because he did not disqualify people because of past sin and compromise. All these traits are important because God knew how Nehemiah would lead and react and entrusted him with the project. But next we see trouble coming. Sanballat and Tobiah ridicule the work of God. They had heard through the grapevine that the wall was being rebuilt.

They were indignant. They mocked the Jews. How many times in our lives have we been ridiculed and scorned because we are doing the work of the Lord? It happens more than we think. Here is a good point… when the enemy comes in to attack and uses people to attack us- there is often some element of truth. This was an outright attack of discouragement. This was an attack of mocking criticism (I believe this is called bullying today!) Discouragement is a powerful weapon because it is the opposite of faith. Discouragement looks for and believes the worst whereas faith believes God and His love and promises. Critics very often MISS what God is doing.

Nehemiah had legal protection from the king so Sanballat and Tobiah had no authority to stop the work, all they could do was mock the Jews and discourage them to stop.

We work very differently under faith or under discouragement. Think about it. We hear things differently under discouragement and we read the word differently under discouragement. It’s no wonder Satan works so hard to keep us from faith and keep us in discouragement.  Don’t fall for it! Hebrews 10:38-39 Now the just shall live by faith; but if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him. But we are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul.

What does Nehemiah do to mitigate the attack? He comes against the discoursing attack with prayer! Imagine that! Nehemiah 4:4-5 It was a first

resource, not a last resort. God wants us to rely on Him- He should be our first and only line of defense. The work continues after the prayer with greater strength! The wall was built! A mind to mind came from God and it was accomplished.

Critics demoralize. Leaders encourage. Charles Swindoll said: When the critics spoke, the workmen heard them and were demoralized. But when the capable leader stepped up and said: Let’s look at it God’s way, stay at the job, the crew members were back there!

Lesson: We often miss God’s answer of our prayers because we pray for Him to do a work in the lives of others we are in conflict with-and He answers by moving in our lives, but we resist that moving. It is as if He tried to give us a mind to work in a situation but we resisted.

Nehemiah set a watch. Prayer did not mean do nothing! They used common sense to do what the should have, protecting against attack, using willing servants of God to be the wall until the wall was built. Our prayers don’t replace our actions, they make our actions effective for God’s work. This is just a snippet of the entire Chapter but the point is-when God calls you to do something- no matter what it is- Don’t let the enemy stop you or the work.

Pray, Pray, Pray and pray some more. Listen to the Word of God, Don’t let the discouragement of the enemy make you change your path. Work with others and be mindful of the great advice of a good leader.

Father, we praise you and honor you. We believe your Word is true. We believe in your promises that they are yeas and amen. Surround us with like believers and friends who will work together with us to accomplish your plans. Thank you for encouraging us all the time. We love you! Amen.

Just a P.S. for everyone, over the past years I have written numerous teachings on the Biblical Feasts and Festivals and some of them are Blog’s. The Feasts are sprinkled throughout the calendar. If you want to read about them, please feel free to do so on the HHH website under blogs. You’re your friends, too! Thanks!

*Tree of Life (TLV) Translation of the Bible. Copyright © 2015 by The Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society.