Today's Devotional

July 27, 2005

Subject:  They Can Hate But They Can't Hinder

Nehemiah 4:7 - 9 " But it came to pass, that when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites, heard that the walls of Jerusalem were made up, and that the breaches began to be stopped, then they were very wroth, and conspired all of them together to come and to fight against Jerusalem, and to hinder it.  Nevertheless we made our prayer unto our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them."

A few weeks ago, I asked for prayer as I moved to Texas and began to work on building a solid ministry with my brother in his church.  I anticipated many struggles in attempting to get the church off the ground in this small community.  The battles have been many, but none unexpected because if we are to do the work of God, by design we will be resisted.  Satan is not happy when you begin to prevent his free movement.  

The story of Nehemiah's rebuilding of the wall is such a great example of how we are to respond to the challenges that are a part of doing God's work.  Whether it's people, circumstances or other conditions that come against you, we can continue the work to completion because "He who hath begun a good work in you will carry it through until completion on the day of Christ Jesus (Phil 1:6).

Let's see how Nehemiah handled his challenges.  It's important to see from the passages above that when you determine to "repair the breaches" in your life and stop things from entering that should not be in your life, other forces and people will often get upset about your desire to do right.  So what do we do?  The things that we should always do; like Nehemiah, we pray.  As we pray we find out how God wants us to respond to the challenge.  In the story of Nehemiah, it's not insignificant that prayer comes before the part about "setting a watch against them..."  

If you feel challenged today in the work that God has called you to do, don't set a watch first, pray and see how God is going to protect and defend His work.  God wants those breaches repaired so He'll see to it that it happens, we simply need to know what He's telling us to do.

Carlen