Do You Have Nehemiah’s Determination?

Why is determination important, and what difference does it really make? Well, let me ask you a question. Where would you be today if Jesus was not determined to go to the cross for you? Or if the disciples were not determined to give their lives for the gospels. Or if your friend, loved one, neighbor, or church had not been determined to share the salvation message with you. Determination comes from a place of conviction and purpose that what you want to see come to pass is worth fighting and believing in.

Have you ever wanted something so badly that you would even give your life for it? A burden or passion or a conviction that was burning in your soul. This is the story of Nehemiah.

A man who loved his God and his city and his home, Jerusalem.

Although he had never even been there, he heard stories of old. Stories of faith and anointing about the God he served.

His people were taken captive long before he was born, and he grew up in Babylon. Now he was a cupbearer to the king.

This was the only life that Nehemiah knew. But he had heard stories of the great city, Jerusalem. His homeland. And now the report had come that the city walls had been burned down.

The scripture tells us that Nehemiah sat down and wept and mourned and fasted and prayed before the Lord the God of heaven.

Everything in his soul was stirring to go to Jerusalem. To lead the charge and rebuild the temple. This was a determined man that would prove to be a leader in Israel.

If you’ve not read the story of Nehemiah, I would encourage you to take the time and read the scriptures.

Nehemiah was a hero. He stood strong against his enemies and adversity. He had one goal in mind, to rebuild the house of God.

Often our passions and visions run into obstacles. Such was the case for Nehemiah. For his enemy was fierce and crafty.

The definition of determination is firmness of purpose and resoluteness. Nehemiah was firm in his purpose. He was resolved to build the walls of Jerusalem.

Determination is a good quality if you are determined in the right direction. It cannot be about pride or power or prestige. Determination must be based on a calling or conviction from God.

In today’s culture, it’s so easy to give up on an assignment or project. I believe the pandemic of 2020 created entitled and lazy individuals. The lack of drive and determination with something that was valued in previous generations. Unfortunately, in today’s society, it’s easier to give up and push through.

The beautiful thing about determination is that it activates your faith.

When my husband and I first started Influence Church, we started in a school and then graduated to a theater. But we knew we wanted a home of our own. On my prayer walk one day, I passed the Anaheim Hills post office, which had a for sale sign on it. I knew it would be the perfect location for a church. I began to pray and ask God to move in our favor to buy the building. Several weeks after announcing to the church that we wanted to purchase a building, a gentleman approached us, saying he would give us the loan. Of course, you can imagine how thrilled we were. We signed the paperwork and began planning for our new church building.

But as God would have it, he wanted to strengthen our faith. Our determination. Just a few weeks before we were to close on the loan, the gentleman let us know he would be unable to fulfill his commitment. The beautiful thing about broken promises is that they lead us to prayer and even fasting. This was when we, as a local congregation, began to fast. We called a corporate fast for the church to pray and believe in God. Although our faith was exercised, I must say we were also determined. We filled out over 130 applications to secure a loan. But heard nothing but crickets. Our church board was determined we would not lose our down payment. Once again, the act of determination played a big role in what would happen next. Through a mutual friend, someone approached us, willing to give us a loan. God had a plan different than the one we had. His ways are always higher and go beyond our understanding. Just as Nehemiah was determined to build the walls of his city. We were determined to build the walls of our church.

God moves through determined people, especially when they activate their faith to see Him move.

To read more from Tammy Hotsenpiller’s latest book, Fasting for a Change, visit MyCharismaShop.com