Ezra.4:4-5 Then the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah, and troubled them in building, And hired counselors against them, to frustrate their purpose, all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia.
The Enemies of God use the peoples of the world to respond to God’s work with discouragement and fear. They weaken the hands of God’s people, trouble the work of God, and frustrate their purpose. The people of Judah were trying to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem, but they were being opposed by the people in the land.
Discouragement and fear are two of the greatest obstacles to completing God’s work. Discouragement eats away at our motivation, and fear paralyzes us so we don’t act at all. We respond by recognizing these common barriers. We remember that God’s people in every age have faced these problems and with God’s help have overcome them. We can respond by standing together with other believers, prevail over discouragement and fear, and fulfill God’s purposes for our life. We respond to any enemy attack by standing firm on the promises of God through faith and prayer.
It should be noted that the strong faith of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Zerubbabel prevailed and succeeded in rebuilding Jerusalem and the temple. So also will the Lord restore and rebuild our lives in the face of the Enemy’s opposition.