What to do when you’re leading a project and things go sideways? Nehemiah shows us in chapter 4. The work has started, everyone is participating with great enthusiasm, but…

When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall he exploded in anger, vilifying the Jews. In the company of his Samaritan cronies and military he let loose: “What are these miserable Jews doing? Do they think they can get everything back to normal overnight? Make building stones out of make-believe?” At his side, Tobiah the Ammonite jumped in and said, “That’s right! What do they think they’re building? Why, if a fox climbed that wall, it would fall to pieces under his weight.” (Nehemiah 4.1 – 3, MSG)

Ridicule. The first problem. The first solution? Prayer:

Nehemiah prayed, “Oh listen to us, dear God. We’re so despised: Boomerang their ridicule on their heads; have their enemies cart them off as war trophies to a land of no return; don’t forgive their iniquity, don’t wipe away their sin—they’ve insulted the builders!” We kept at it, repairing and rebuilding the wall. The whole wall was soon joined together and halfway to its intended height because the people had a heart for the work. (Nehemiah 4.4 – 6, MSG)

Love it: halfway done, people working whole-heartedly… until ridicule escalates to outright opposition:

When Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites heard that the repairs of the walls of Jerusalem were going so well—that the breaks in the wall were being fixed—they were absolutely furious. They put their heads together and decided to fight against Jerusalem and create as much trouble as they could. Nehemiah 4.7, 8, MSG)

Solution? Prayer AND a guard:

We countered with prayer to our God and set a round-the-clock guard against them. (Nehemiah 4.9, MSG)

Then…what always happens in a project, you hit the boring middle and discouragement sets in:

But soon word was going around in Judah, The builders are pooped, the rubbish piles up; We’re in over our heads, we can’t build this wall. (Nehemiah 4.10, MSG)

Pastor Frank Tillapaugh pointed out decades ago, that it’s not like rubbish trucks were coming into Jerusalem every day with new rubbish! There had to be less rubbish in chapter 4 than there was when they started in chapter 3. Internal discouragement coupled with external threats could have shut them down, but it didn’t.

Armed guards and a pep talk:

So I stationed armed guards at the most vulnerable places of the wall and assigned people by families with their swords, lances, and bows. After looking things over I stood up and spoke to the nobles, officials, and everyone else: “Don’t be afraid of them. Put your minds on the Master, great and awesome, and then fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes.” (Nehemiah 4.13, 14, MSG)

Work AND watch.

From then on half of my young men worked while the other half stood guard with lances, shields, bows, and mail armor. Military officers served as backup for everyone in Judah who was at work rebuilding the wall. The common laborers held a tool in one hand and a spear in the other. Each of the builders had a sword strapped to his side as he worked. I kept the trumpeter at my side to sound the alert. (Nehemiah 4.16 – 18, MSG)

A command and control system.

Then I spoke to the nobles and officials and everyone else: “There’s a lot of work going on and we are spread out all along the wall, separated from each other. When you hear the trumpet call, join us there; our God will fight for us.” (Nehemiah 4.19, 20, MSG)

Working, as we used to say in the Air Force, “half-days – 12 hours,” and watching.

And so we kept working, from first light until the stars came out, half of us holding lances. (Nehemiah 4.21, MSG)

It’s not, “Are we going to finish this wall?” but “HOW are we going to finish this wall?” Nothing stopped them…until they paused for a good reason. Paused? Yes. Stay tuned.

In the meantime,

I also instructed the people, “Each person and his helper is to stay inside Jerusalem—guards by night and workmen by day.” We all slept in our clothes—I, my brothers, my workmen, and the guards backing me up. And each one kept his spear in his hand, even when getting water. (Nehemiah 4.22, 23, MSG)

Stay alert; be in prayer so you don’t wander into temptation without even knowing you’re in danger. There is a part of you that is eager, ready for anything in God. But there’s another part that’s as lazy as an old dog sleeping by the fire. (Matthew 26. 41, MSG)