A few mornings ago my husband woke up stressed out. I felt for him; he had several big projects due at work, a key employee that was leaving the company in a matter of days, and some crucial responsibilities at an upcoming employee conference. And these were just the majors.

Like anyone in his situation would be, he was battling anxiety and discouragement. He was well-aware of the seeming discrepancy between God’s promise and His circumstances. When he looked at all the looming projects with one-less critical employee, it became difficult to believe that “God will take care of all of [his work] needs in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:19).

Although the specifics of each of our situations may look different, the underlying attack from the enemy has been the same since Adam and Eve: Did God really say…?

And the really irritating part is, the enemy knows just the right time to ask it- when our circumstances look bleak and God’s promise looks impossible. What is your personal “Did God really say…?” struggle? Maybe some of these will resonate with you:

• Did God really say to win my husband over with the purity of my own life? (1 Pet. 3:1) Because, really, I can think of a much better way to get my point across.
• Did God really say that He knows how to rescue His people from trials? (2 Pet. 2:9) Because I’ve been in this pit for what seems like forever and I don’t see any relief in sight.
• Did God really say He would never leave or forsake me? (Hebrews 13:5) Because right now it seems like He’s nowhere to be found.

When God makes a promise, the temptation is to only believe it if it aligns with our current reality. Take Abraham and Sarah, for example. They were promised an heir from their own bodies through whom the Lord would bless the entire world. Decades later, they were still childless. Romans 4:19 says that Abraham had to face “the fact that his body was as good as dead- since he was about a hundred years old- and that Sarah’s womb was also dead.” Do you think they were tempted to stop believing God? Of course! In fact Sarah, in an act of desperation, gave Abraham her maidservant in hopes that she may be able to help God out a bit in fulfilling His promise. Ultimately, though, Abraham believed God. And this belief was enough for him to be counted righteous in God’s sight. Romans 4:20-21 explains it this way: “Yet he [Abraham] did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.”

When God’s promise looks impossible or untrue given our current circumstances, we have a choice: we can stand in faith or shrink in fear. May we be a people who allow the time between God making a promise and fulfilling it to strengthen and refine the very thing that pleases Him the most: our belief.

Faith is being sure of what we hope for, and certain of what we do not see (Heb. 11:1).

In August 2015 I faced a real challenge to my faith. I wasn’t seeing the evidence of God’s hand in a certain area of my life, and with this lack came discouragement and apathy. I remember a few days when I didn’t even want to pick up my bible. The doubts were just too overwhelming and avoidance seemed like a better option. But finally I mustered up the motivation to open His Word and simply read. No prayer time. No journaling. If you’ve been there, you understand. But God met me there, faithful as always.

Since our teaching pastor Andy Savage had been preaching from the book of Nehemiah all summer, I started there. God used this sermon series as a significant source of encouragement and wisdom for me on things ranging from vision and leadership to prayer and perseverance. Nehemiah had nerves of steel and a heart of gold. These two traits married is a rare and beautiful treasure.

Nehemiah was called to lead God’s people in rebuilding the walls around Jerusalem, but he faced an intense amount of opposition doing it.  This opposition is apparent throughout most of the book, but what impacted me most that morning in August was the sixth chapter. Just before this chapter, Nehemiah and his countrymen had all but completed the wall; the only thing left to do was set the doors in the gates. Just as they began to see an end in sight, they were approached by three foreign enemies. Four times they sent Nehemiah a message urging him to meet them in one of the villages. They were trying their best to get Nehemiah off task, to distract him from completing his God-given mission. With each attempt to distract, Nehemiah refused to be shaken. He was steadfast in his conviction that the work he was doing couldn’t be interrupted.  As I read this, almost immediately I thought, “Is the enemy succeeding in distracting me from God’s purpose in my life? Or am I steadfast like Nehemiah?” The answer was painfully clear.

After four failed attempts at distraction, the enemies’ second tactic was to provoke fear. They sent Nehemiah a letter falsely accusing him of plotting a revolt and trying to become king. If these accusations weren’t enough, they topped it off with a threat: if Nehemiah didn’t grant their request to meet, they would tell the king of Nehemiah’s supposed rebellion.

We know from Jewish history that if Nehemiah was caught in rebellion against the king, he would immediately be killed. So this was no small threat; Nehemiah’s life was on the line. This false accusation and the threat that followed could cost Nehemiah everything. At this point, I’d be more than tempted to take a short break and go meet with these guys. What would a day’s delay hurt, anyway? Not Nehemiah. His two immediate responses brought him and God’s people victory.

First, Nehemiah refuted the lie with the truth: “Nothing like what you are saying is happening; you are just making it up out of your head” (Nehemiah 6:8).  He didn’t analyze their message and begin to doubt. He simply believed, spoke, and behaved according to the truth. In what area of your life are you feeling fearful? Ask the Holy Spirit to show you what lie you are believing and replace it with God’s Word.

Second, Nehemiah prayed. Short and sweet: “Now strengthen my hands” (Nehemiah 6:9). In the face of fear and discouragement, we need God to give us a supernatural endurance to press on. Ask God to fortify you for the work to which He has called you.

I hope you’ve found Nehemiah’s response as inspiring as I did during a discouraging season. Is there currently an area in your life in which you need God to help you overcome fear and strengthen your hands?