God will make you into someone you never thought you could be. That is certain, if you walk with him. There is potential in you that only he knows and that only he can bring to fruition. But you must live by faith, not fear. Fear causes us to live safely, and it stunts our growth. You must allow yourself to be stretched and to respond to opportunities to step out in faith. God will lead you and help you if you are willing to grow and become the person you were made to be. There are evil spiritual forces (Ephesian 6:12) who will try to intimidate you. They will fill you with self-doubt and discourage you so that you withdraw into your safe lifestyle burrow and never step out beyond your comfort zone. It was the same for the Jews under Nehemiah’s leadership who set out to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. The Samaritans mocked and intimidated them to try to get them to stop. This is what our spiritual enemy is like. He wants us to think individualistically and defensively. When people unite under God’s purpose it threatens the devil’s hold on them, and it undermines his dominion. He wants people to remain selfish and fragmented because, when they remain like that, they are no threat to him at all. The most powerful capacities in human nature are activated when we unite with others in God’s purpose. You can’t fulfil God’s purpose alone. There is no such thing as a private Christian life. To be a Christian is to be a part of something bigger than yourself.
Reflect on your part in God’s purpose.
Read Nehemiah 4
