WHY IS EVERYTHING SO HARD?

"And the king granted these requests, because the gracious hand of God was on me."
Nehemiah 2:8 (NLT)

“When I came to the governors of the province west of the Euphrates River, I delivered the king’s letters to them. The king, I should add, had sent along army officers and horsemen to protect me.”
Nehemiah 2:9 (NLT)

“But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard of my arrival, they were very displeased that someone had come to help the people of Israel.”
Nehemiah 2:10 (NLT)

But now I said to them, “You know very well what trouble we are in. Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire. Let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem and end this disgrace!” Then I told them about how the gracious hand of God had been on me, and about my conversation with the king. They replied at once, “Yes, let’s rebuild the wall!” So they began the good work.
Nehemiah 2:17-18 (NLT)

"But when Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem the Arab heard of our plan, they scoffed contemptuously…"
Nehemiah 2:19 (NLT)

“What are you doing? Are you rebelling against the king?” they asked.”
Nehemiah 2:19 (NLT)

I replied, “The God of heaven will help us succeed. We, his servants, will start rebuilding this wall.”
Nehemiah 2:20 (NLT)

Sanballat was very angry when he learned that we were rebuilding the wall. He flew into a rage and mocked the Jews, saying in front of his friends and the Samarian army officers, “What does this bunch of poor, feeble Jews think they’re doing? Do they think they can build the wall in a single day by just offering a few sacrifices? Do they actually think they can make something of stones from a rubbish heap—and charred ones at that?”  Tobiah the Ammonite, who was standing beside him, remarked, “That stone wall would collapse if even a fox walked along the top of it!”
Nehemiah 4:1-3 (NLT)

Then I prayed, “Hear us, our God, for we are being mocked. May their scoffing fall back on their own heads, and may they themselves become captives in a foreign land!  Do not ignore their guilt. Do not blot out their sins, for they have provoked you to anger here in front of the builders.”
Nehemiah 4:4-5 (NLT)

"But when Sanballat and Tobiah and the Arabs, Ammonites, and Ashdodites heard that the work was going ahead and that the gaps in the wall of Jerusalem were being repaired, they were furious.
They all made plans to come and fight against Jerusalem and throw us into confusion."
Nehemiah 4:7-8 (NLT)

"But we prayed to our God and guarded the city day and night to protect ourselves."
Nehemiah 4:9 (NLT)

"Don’t be afraid of the enemy! Remember the LORD, who is great and glorious, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes!”
Nehemiah 4:14 (NLT)

"When you hear the blast of the trumpet, rush to wherever it is sounding. Then our God will fight for us!”
Nehemiah 4:20 (NLT)

WHERE GOD IS AT WORK THERE WILL BE PEOPLE READY TO OPPOSE HIS WORK

GOD OFTEN USES YOU TO BE THE ANSWER TO YOUR OWN PRAYER