Real leadership is revealed during times of difficulty and adversity. Surely, during times of ease and peace, the test of a true leader will not be fully tested or appreciated. Such was the case with Nehemiah.

God sent this man into a situation that was hopeless, and through the encouraging word of Nehemiah (from God), the people were fully immersed in a rebuilding programme.

Things were looking good. Walls were going up in record time. Any time you are in the rebuilding process, you will stir up the wrath of those who spoke that you will never become all that you are capable of.

There are those who desire to continuously see you in dire straits. Yet, and in spite of that, God, who knows all, will send in a person to counteract the effect that the enemy has planned against you.

His name is Nehemiah, which means “Jehovah comforts”. Nehemiah the servant of God, Nehemiah the surveyor of God, and Nehemiah the strategic servant of God, had intelligence from the enemy’s camp. He had inside information.

That is where Nehemiah shone forth. He was a rebuilding specialist, and God had given Nehemiah inside information on how the enemy planned to attack. By speaking himself, Nehemiah will counteract what the enemy has spoken.

Yes, Nehemiah will erase what the enemy has spoken by speaking that which God had already spoken. Indeed, God’s word will prevail against every other word. The enemy uses a weapon that is time-tested and actually proven to have the power to destroy a nation in a matter of a word or sentence. The enemy uses the mouth to speak deadly words to the people of Israel.

A blessing and a curse
The mouth is an interesting part of the body. With this mouth, you can choose to speak blessings or cursings. With the mouth, you can build up or you can cut down another.

The mouth can speak sweet nothings, and the same mouth can speak that which should never be spoken. Of the mouth, the Bible says in Ephesians 4:29: Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.

That is what Nehemiah did in our text of today. While Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem, the Ammonites, Ashdodites, and the Arabians were speaking corruption, Nehemiah spoke construction.

Speaking evil
When they speak evil, you will be tempted to stoop down to their level and speak evil back to them.

Don’t do that. Do not live life according to the rules of your enemy. No, speak life. Open your mouth and speak life. Nehemiah 4:14 And I looked, and rose up, and said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, Be not ye afraid of them: remember the Lord, which is great and terrible, and fight for your brethren, your sons, and your daughters, your wives, and your houses.

Nehemiah spoke blessings; he encouraged and empowered the people to fight for their families. It is very easy to become distracted by the enemy’s tactics. However, what you must do is focus on the cause that your family is fighting for. The cause is great.

The mission is monumental, and God has spoken the manifestation of it. You must fully understand that God’s words cannot fail.

However, if you take on the spirit of your enemies’ words, then you will fail. Nehemiah 4:15 And it came to pass, when our enemies heard that it was known unto us, and God had brought their counsel to nought, that we returned all of us to the wall, every one unto his work.

God will cause the lies of the enemy to be brought down to nothing. It does not matter how many meetings they have had about you and your mission, God will still bring their counsel to naught. Stay focused on what God has spoken.

Stay determined to fight the good fight of faith. Keep positive words in your mouth. Then watch God bring to full fruition all that He said He will do. Trust the words of God over the words of man. Respice finem.