Nehemiah 4:6-7 - At last the wall was completed to half its height around the entire city, for the people had worked with enthusiasm. 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. But we prayed to our God and guarded the city day and night to protect ourselves. (NLT)
Many of us have lived with and believed the idea that opposition might be a sign that God is not in what we are doing. But as we have seen, the book of Nehemiah reveals something entirely different. Last week we learnt that one of the enemy's tactics is to belittle whatever we are doing. Today we learn that when ridicule doesn’t work against us, he uses anger, fear and threats to throw us off. Rather than be intimidated by our opposition, our progress and his new approach should be signs that the Lord is with us! Like Nehemiah our response should not be retreat, instead we should pray and prepare ourselves for the schemes of the enemy.
Questions for reflection: Has the enemy’s approach changed? Am I facing fear and anger? Have I retreated in the face of fear instead of seeking the Lord? Have I prepared myself for the attacks of the enemy?
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