Prospering Amidst Opposition
So the Jewish elders continued their work, and they were greatly encouraged by the preaching of the prophets Haggai and Zechariah son of Iddo. The Temple was finally finished, as had been commanded by the God of Israel and decreed by Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes, the kings of Persia. Ezra 6:14 NLT
In chapters 4 to 6 of Ezra, we see that rebuilding the temple was not easy at all. As soon as the people began to work, enemies and troublemakers arose who tried to discourage them, intimidate them, and stop the work through false letters and accusations before the king. They managed to stop the project for a while, but God sent His prophets to encourage and awaken the spirit of the people. Finally, not only did they resume construction, but King Darius ordered that the very enemies finance the work. This teaches us how to face and overcome resistance when we are determined to do God’s will and fulfill our purpose.
- Opposition is inevitable when we move forward There will always be toxic people or “troublemakers” who will try to discourage us when we decide to build our family, our ministry, or our finances. The enemy does not sit idly by when he sees that we are progressing and taking seriously the promises God has given us.
- Do not let yourself be paralyzed by fear or criticism The adversaries used fear, rumors, and bureaucracy to stop the work. Sometimes, the criticisms and obstacles we face in life can make us doubt and paralyze our projects. We must not allow the voices of those who do not share our faith to make us abandon the assignment God gave us.
- The power of surrounding ourselves with prophetic voices The people regained strength by listening to the preaching of the prophets Haggai and Zechariah. We need to surround ourselves with wise leaders and friendships that speak the Word of God to us, strengthen us, and remind us that we must keep going. A timely word of encouragement renews our strength, changes our mood, and pushes us to finish the work.
- God uses obstacles to bless us The king not only ordered the enemies to stop interfering, but he forced them to pay the construction costs with their taxes. When we stand firm and trust in the Lord, He knows how to reverse the enemy’s intentions and use the most difficult situations to finance us, open doors, and accelerate our success.
- We must finish what we have started The Jews not only restarted the work, but they finished it successfully. In life, we cannot settle for leaving things half done. God has given us the Holy Spirit, the strength, the discipline, and the wisdom to complete with excellence every project, business, ministry, or family restoration that we have started.
In our journey toward spiritual, family, social, and financial success, we will encounter resistance. It is easy to get discouraged when things do not go as we planned immediately or when the opposition seems too great. However, our God fights for us. If we stay connected to His word, listen to the advice of our spiritual leaders, and refuse to give in to fear, we will see how the Lord removes the obstacles and gives us a total victory. He is an expert at making what the enemy planned for our harm work out for our good, leading us to the culmination of the greatest dreams He has placed in our hearts.
So the Jewish elders continued their work, and they were greatly encouraged by the preaching of the prophets Haggai and Zechariah son of Iddo. The Temple was finally finished, as had been commanded by the God of Israel and decreed by Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes, the kings of Persia. Ezra 6:14 NLT
Think About It:
- What project, goal, or dream have you left half done due to criticism, discouragement, or opposition from other people?
- What voices are you currently surrounding yourself with to keep your faith firm and not lose the vision God has given you?
- Decide today to resume that area of your life that had been paralyzed, trusting that God will back you up and provide you with what is necessary to finish it successfully.