All through the account of Nehemiah, there are evil men who conspire to discourage and destroy the Israelites. And, so, deconstruction seems to be influenced by an enemy:

Matthew 13:24-30 - He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. And the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?’ He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ So the servants said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ But he said, ‘No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, “Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.”’”

Angels and saints sow good seeds. Demons and the wicked sow evil ones.

Harvests happen annually, don’t they? Shouldn’t we expect a loving God to be regularly active in the fields he manages? Planting, watering, harvesting, gathering, separating. Surely he does this multiple times during these short times we’re on the earth. So let us understand the pattern! May we pay careful attention to what Peter said:

1 Peter 4:14 - Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.

This is the story we find ourselves in. May we grow comfortable in the repetition of it. May we grow overwhelmingly confident in the God who oversees it.

1 Peter 5:8-11 - Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

The Adversary attacks and we’re diminished. It’s a pattern. We know this because it says “[God] will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.” He brings the broken back to strength.

In a time of spiritual famine, God stands by with his appointed one, Jesus, to save - just as he used Joseph, who had stored up grain for seven years, to save so many in the time of Pharoah, so does Jesus pour out good at the right moment:

Genesis 41:56 - So when the famine had spread over all the land, Joseph opened all the storehouses

God restores us so that we might bring restoration and gather more people back to himself:

Matthew 9:35-38 - And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”

The wheat becomes the work.