Pastor Izzy from Courageous Church recently chatted to Leah and Dan about how we can push through when it feels like everything is against us. Read what he had to say below.

“So we rebuilt the wall till all of it reached half its height, for the people worked with all their heart.” – Nehemiah 4:6

In the book of Nehemiah, God gives a man named Nehemiah a powerful mission: return to Jerusalem and rebuild the wall. But this task wasn’t just about bricks and stones. It was about rebuilding identity and faith. God’s people had been exiled, scattered, and discouraged. Now, they were returning.

With a small group, Nehemiah began the work. But the opposition came quickly.

Enemies like Sanballat and Tobiah tried everything to stop them. They mocked, threatened, and intimidated the workers. “They don’t want them to become the people of God again.” Still, Nehemiah pressed on.

The turning point? Nehemiah writes, “We rebuilt the wall…for the people worked at it with all their heart.”

Despite the challenges, they gave everything.

Let’s pause and consider what they faced:

  • They were ashamed and unsure if they were worthy to be called God’s people again.
  • They faced real danger. Their enemies threatened their lives.
  • They had limited resources. They used rubble and ruins to rebuild.
  • They had few workers. They guarded by night and built by day.
  • They never stopped. “They didn’t even change their clothes.”

The wall was massive, 8.2 feet thick, 59 feet high, and 4 kilometres long. And yet, they finished it in just 52 days.

How? They were all in.

When it comes to your own life, your marriage, your family, your work, or your faith, you’ll face opposition too. You’ll feel tired. Discouraged. Unqualified. But as the speaker shared, “People can do great things in the face of great opposition if they do it with all their heart.”

So what are you facing today?

A strained relationship? A heavy workload? A spiritual dry season?

Don’t pull back. Go all in. Give it your heart.

And if you’re unsure about God, maybe you’ve been curious but distant, here’s the challenge: “Open your heart. Give Jesus a real go and just see what happens.”

Let’s follow Nehemiah’s example. Let’s rebuild, push through, and live with wholehearted faith.