DISCOURAGEMENT AND ACCUSATION

• DAY 194
• FAITH FILES: ISRAEL
• SCRIPTURES: EZRA 4

Then the people of the land tried to discourage the people of Judah. They 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. In the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, they wrote an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem. In the days of Artaxerxes also, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabel, and the rest of their companions wrote to Artaxerxes king of Persia; and the letter was written in Aramaic script, and translated into the Aramaic language. Rehum the commander and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter against Jerusalem to King Artaxerxes

Ezra 4:4-8

Our text today proves that enemies are willing to go to any length whatsoever to hinder you. When the plan to cunningly join Isreal to destroy their work from within failed, the enemies of Israel decided to re-strategize.  They started to sow seeds of discouragement. They spoke words to destroy their confidence and demoralize them. That too failed. So, they planned again, they bribed the governors and the people in authority so that they can stop the material supply that is coming to Israel. That way, they can hinder them and make it difficult for them to be able to do what they were supposed to do. They did this for decades. Their bribery affected the help the king instructed that they should be receiving.

You see, you cannot enter into the fullness of your purpose without help. When God calls you or sends you, He places people to help you and pull you up. But with helpers, there are also people who want to bring you down and they are going to come. This is why you need to know the words of God at the back of your head, to encourage yourself when they come with their discouragement.

From Pretense To Accusations

As you read further,  you will see that King Cyrus, the one who gave the Israelites the decree to return to their home, had died and a new king was on the throne. So these enemies began to write allegations about the Israelites to the new king and the king after that. Claiming that letting Israel build was a mistake that would cost the King his influence, money, and dominion. They wrote, pretending to be protecting the king’s interest. They kept writing until their plot worked. 

This is to show you that your enemy is not tired, they are persistent and consistent in their attempt to destroy you. So, you cannot be tired, you have to be persistent and consistent in the direction of God’s purpose for your life, you can’t just rest and relax, thinking that the enemy will get tired and stop. I know that we don’t like to hear it, but we are not on a playground, we are on a battlefield and that means that we have to be more dogged and ruthless than our enemy.

Evil Doesn’t Win For Long

Take a look at the letter that the enemy wrote to the King, they wrote it in a way that would disfavor the Israelites. It made King Artaxerxes feel like his help was basically going to raise the Israelites to overthrow him and this letter actually delayed the building of the temple. Just one letter hindered their assignment. We see this happen a lot today, even in church a lot of things happen that slow down the work of God through the church, whether they are true or not.   

However, the wonderful truth is that we are already in a position of advantage. As recipients of grace and inheritors of salvation, everything has been meticulously orchestrated to operate in our favor and for our ultimate benefit. While their strategy may have triumphed for a period, that is never the final outcome. Evil can only temporarily prevail. Even if that assignment seems momentarily hindered, rest assured that God will faithfully bring it to completion.

So I need you to take a moment to pray 

Father, I lift up the things You put in my hand, the assignments You gave me, the purpose You called me to, and present them to You. I pray in the name of Jesus that whoever has put it upon themselves to come against me, that the weapons which they have formed will not prosper. And the voice they are raising against me will be shut. In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Shalom.