Why Do I Struggle Saying No? (Nehemiah 1-7)
If you tend to be a people pleaser, the idea of saying no might feel uncomfortable. But following God often requires the courage to say no.
Nehemiah 1-7
Today's Scripture Passage
A Few Thoughts to Consider
Do you have a hard time saying no?
If you’re a natural people-pleaser, you’ll find this word borderline offensive. However, to follow God, there are times when no is the only appropriate answer. The story of Nehemiah is one such example. In Nehemiah 1-6, Nehemiah, a cupbearer to the Persian King Artaxerxes, learns about the desolate state of Jerusalem, and Nehemiah 1 opens with this sad account.
1 During the month of Chislev in the twentieth year, when I was in the fortress city of Susa, 2 Hanani, one of my brothers, arrived with men from Judah, and I questioned them about Jerusalem and the Jewish remnant that had survived the exile. 3 They said to me, “The remnant in the province, who survived the exile, are in great trouble and disgrace. Jerusalem’s wall has been broken down, and its gates have been burned.” 4 When I heard these words, I sat down and wept. I mourned for a number of days, fasting and praying before the God of the heavens.
Nehemiah prays and receives permission from the king to go to Jerusalem to rebuild the walls. “The refortification of Jerusalem by Nehemiah may have been part of the imperial Persian strategy against the dangers of Athenian imperialism, which included the coastal Palestinian city of Dor in its Delian League.”[1] Upon arrival, Nehemiah faces opposition from local officials, but he organizes the people and continues the work despite threats and intimidation. Through prayer, strategic planning, and strong leadership, the walls of Jerusalem are successfully rebuilt in just 52 days, symbolizing a renewal of faith and security for the Jewish people.
This work doesn’t move forward without opposition. Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arab all attack Nehemiah’s work. They mock and ridicule his efforts to rebuild the walls, accusing the Jews of rebelling against the king. They also conspired to attack and create confusion among the builders. Despite these threats and attempts to intimidate Nehemiah and his team, Nehemiah's steadfast leadership and reliance on prayer ensured the continuation and completion of the project.
In an attempt to distract Nehemiah, Sanballat asks for a meeting. Seeing through his plan, Nehemiah responds in Nehemiah 6:3 and says, “I am doing important work and cannot come down. Why should the work cease while I leave it and go down to you?” This same back-and-forth exchange happens four times, each with the same result. That’s when Sanballat ups the ante and makes this false accusation. 6 “It is reported among the nations—and Geshem agrees—that you and the Jews plan to rebel. This is the reason you are building the wall. According to these reports, you are to become their king 7 and have even set up the prophets in Jerusalem to proclaim on your behalf, ‘There is a king in Judah.’ These rumors will be heard by the king. So come, let’s confer together.”
Sanballat is trying to pressure Nehemiah, but Nehemiah sees through this intimidation tactic and responds in verse 8, “There is nothing to these rumors you are spreading; you are inventing them in your own mind.” As a result, 15 “The wall was completed in fifty-two days, on the twenty-fifth day of the month Elul. 16 When all our enemies heard this, all the surrounding nations were intimidated and lost their confidence, for they realized that this task had been accomplished by our God.”
For Nehemiah, it wasn’t just about rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. It was about rebuilding his nation’s trust in God. As Hannah Harrington writes, “The central focus of the Nehemiah Memoir as it stands in the full text of Ezra-Nehemiah, however, is not the wall but the rebuilding of the community by means of the Torah and covenant renewal.”[2] Nehemiah realized this work was so crucial that no outside pressure, manipulation tactics, or plots of the enemy could distract him.
A Meditation to PRAY
Praise | Lord, I praise you for your unwavering support and guidance. Your protection and strength empower me to overcome every obstacle and complete the work you have set before me. I thank you for the clarity and conviction to recognize that the work I am doing is important and cannot be abandoned.
Release | I release to you all the distractions, fears, and anxieties that seek to hinder my progress. Help me to let go of anything that prevents me from fulfilling your will. Grant me the focus to remember that the task you have given me is significant, and I must not be deterred.
Ask | I ask for your continued protection and wisdom as I face opposition. Give me discernment to recognize deceit and courage to stand firm in your truth. Please remind me daily that my work is vital and that I cannot come down until it is completed.
Yield | I yield my efforts and outcomes to you, trusting that you will bring your plans to fruition through my obedience and dedication. I surrender my will to yours, believing that the importance of this work is under your divine purpose.
