If You Build It, Opposition Will Come!

Have you ever watched the movie Field of Dreams? One of its famous scenes is when the main character hears a voice from "another world" say to him: If you build it, he will come. Of course, this statement in the movie describes how if the main character builds a baseball diamond in the middle of his field, his deceased father will come to this Field of Dreams.

Well, I think we can tweak this statement a little to make another point we see in Scripture: If you build it, opposition will come! And we don't have to look far to see this truth surface in God's Word - it's everywhere!

For example, Jesus confirms this truth when He says in Matthew 16:18b, "[O]n this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it" (NIV). Paul confirms this message when he says in 2 Timothy 3:12b, "[E]veryone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted" (NIV). We can also see this truth in the Old Testament. All we have to do is reflect on the lives of Moses, Joshua, David, and Jeremiah just to name a few!

But perhaps one of the clearest Biblical illustrations of this principle is found in Nehemiah 4-6. As Nehemiah was literally building a wall, opposition came. And it just goes to show us that when we obey God's call to be a part of what He's building, all types of opposition will come.

Let's glance through Nehemiah 4-6, and identify some of the types of opposition that will come...

1. Mocking will come (Nehemiah 4:1-3).

When we take a stand for Christ, others will mock our lives and work in God's Kingdom. They will consider us to be insignificant and our work to be of no-consequence.

2. Confusion will come (Nehemiah 4:7-8).

When we obey God's call to labor in His Kingdom, others will try to confuse us in our work. They will seek to distract us from focusing on fulfilling God's call in our lives.

3. Danger will come (Nehemiah 4:11-13).

When we follow the Spirit's lead, others will try to harm us. Sometimes this harm will be physical in nature; sometimes this harm may center more on our reputation, for example, than our bodies.

4. Relentless distractions will come (Nehemiah 6:1-4).

When we walk in obedience, others will constantly try to frustrate our concentration on God's call. Opposition will not vanish if we resist it once; rather, it will surface repeatedly over the course of our lives as we labor in God's Kingdom.

5. Assignment-of-motive will come (Nehemiah 6:5-9).

When we remain faithful to God's work, others will spread rumors about our motives, seek to cast suspicion on our character, and question our integrity. If they can't destroy us, they will seek to tear down our reputation in the eyes of others which will in turn eliminate our effectiveness in God's Kingdom work.

Now it's abundantly clear throughout the entire message of the Bible in general and in the book of Nehemiah in particular that God is victorious over any and all opposition! No amount nor kind of opposition derails God's Kingdom work. When the dust of opposition settles, God is glorified, and all opposition is silenced. This is what we see in Nehemiah's life. After he finished building the wall, Nehemiah 6:16 says, "When all our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and lost their self-confidence, because they realized that this work had been done with the help of our God" (NIV).

There we have it: God is victorious; all opposition is defeated.

So be encouraged today! Anytime we stand for Christ and follow Him, all kinds of opposition will come. This isn't anything new. Peter reminds us in 1 Peter 5:8-11, "Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. 10 And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. 11 To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen" (NIV).

Let's hear the words of Jesus in John 16:33b give us assurance of His victory over every kind of opposition we'll ever face in our lives: "In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world" (NIV).

Blessings...