In verse 10 Nehemiah was approached by someone that he trusted. He must have had some trust in this guy because he went to his home. This guy, Shemaiah, tried to convince Nehemiah that his enemies were going to kill him and that Nehemiah should go into hiding. I find it interesting that they are trying to take out the leader, but I am getting ahead of myself. When I first read verse 11, I kind of thought that Nehemiah was being arrogant. Then I went back and reviewed chapter 4. He wasn’t being arrogant he was being a consistent leader and example. Remember in chapter 4 that the enemies were threatening the lives of all of Nehemiah’s people. He didn’t allow them to hide. Now his life was being threatened. What kind of example would it have been had Nehemiah gone into hiding? The word that comes to mind is “Hypocrite”. Nehemiah wasn’t being arrogant. He was being humble. He was saying that he was no more important than any of the people. If they didn’t hide then who is he that he should hide. I recently heard a pastor ask what kind of life we were living. Was our Christian walk one that made others want to be a part, or was it one that reinforced the negative opinion of church and Christianity. I hope and pray that I may be as Nehemiah was so that others will know that I am not just a man of words but a man of consistency and integrity. I hope that when others look at my walk they will want to be a part.
In the end of the chapter the wall is completed. It took 52 days to complete the wall that had lain in ruins for hundreds of years. I would say that 52 days would be impressive in today’s time but almost miraculous for back then. There were obstacles as there are for all of us in life. There were external problems and internal problems. We all will face them if we haven’t already. There were threats on those around Nehemiah. We all have friends, family, and co-workers who are facing threats. There was conflict from within. We all face conflict in our families, our work teams, our schools. As we have seen in the previous chapters it is not what or if something comes against us that makes the difference. It is how we deal with it when it comes that makes the difference. If we are leaders then we must understand that we are targets and that someone is always watching. Leaders are not just leaders because they have a title. It doesn’t matter if you are a supervisor or an employee, husband or wife, father or son you can be a leader. Leaders must stay focused on the goal. Leaders must always remember that the opposition understands that most of the time as the leader goes so goes the group. Take a parent out and the whole family suffers. Get a pastor to fall and the church suffers with him. As leaders we must be vigilant until the goal is achieved. Not when the goal is close but when it is done.
As a final note I would like to leave you with one of my favorite poems. This has served as a source of inspiration for me quite often. I hope that it may do the same for you.
When things go wrong as they sometimes will,
When the road you’re trudging seems all uphill
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit –
Rest if you must, but don’t quit
Life is strange with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a fellow turns about
When he might have won had he stuck it out.
Don’t give up though the pace seems slow –
You may succeed with another blow.
Often the goal is nearer than
It seems to a fair and faltering man,
Often the struggler has given up
When he might have captured the victor’s cup,
And he learned too late when night came down,
How close he was to the golden crown.
Success is failure turned inside out –
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems afar,
So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit, --
It’s when things seem worst that you mustn’t quit.
Author Unknown
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