Have you ever been in a difficult situation and wondered “Where is God?” We know, according to Deuteronomy 31:6, 8 and Joshua 1:5, He has promised to never leave us nor forsake us. We know He is for us and if God is for us, who can be against us? [Romans 8:31] However, at times, we feel like no progress is being made.
Reading through Nehemiah, I was drawn to Nehemiah 4:9: “But we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat.” The thing that stood out to me in this verse wasn’t that they prayed to God, but they also took action. They put their trust in God knowing He would be faithful, but they stepped up and did their part.
God isn’t our servant; He’s our Daddy and He wants us to be about His business, even when that business is protecting ourselves from harm [Luke 2:49]. Our relationship with Him is a partnership. We must work with Him, bringing to the table whatever we have trusting in Him to make up the difference. Let’s face it, when the disciples brought five loaves and two fish to Jesus to feed over five thousand people, it wasn’t much. When they paired what they had with what Jesus brought to the table, it was more than enough [John 6:13].
Not only did the Israelites partner with the Lord in Nehemaih, but they partnered with one another to face the battle before them [Nehemiah 4:16]. God tells us in Proverbs 27:17 we are to sharpen one another as iron sharpens iron. We come together making one another stronger and better because we are part of the body of Christ [1 Corinthians 12:27]. To quote my mama “That’s what families do!”
Nehemiah 4:20 reminds us “Our God will fight for us!” He is capable of doing it alone. He chooses to allow us to partner with Him.
What are you facing today? You’re not fighting it alone, but make sure you’re fighting. Don’t expect someone to come to your rescue while you sit. Ask yourself: Is there something I can do? Are there others around me who will come beside me and help me carry the load?
Even Moses had to have others come beside him in battle [Exodus 17:10-12]. Ask Lord for help. Ask Him to show you your part in the battle, and ask Him to send reinforcements. God always wins and when He’s on your side, so do you! It’s time to engage.