Practical Lessons from Nehemiah 4

As you may recall - I highly recommend the daily Bible reading plan RevivedbyHisWord.org.  This has been such a huge blessing to my life!  We are presently in the book of Nehemiah and what a blessing.

Today a friend of mine - someone I have never met, but feel close to as we have shared comments for the last year on this forum - posted the following synposis of Nehemiah 4.  Thought I'd share:

From Chapter 4,we see what the enemy uses to kill the work:

1.) Threat of harm or death

• verse 11"They will neither know nor see anything, till we come into their midst and kill them and cause the work to cease."

2.) Mockery

• verse 1-"Will they complete it in one day?"

3.) Belittlement

• verse 2-"feeble Jews"

4.) Overwhelming thoughts

• verse 2-"Will they use stones that are burned?"

5.) Conspiracy and Confusion

• Verse 8-"all of them conspired together ....and create confusion"

6.) Discouragement at the scope of the work

• "There is so much rubbish"

Sound familiar? But our encouragement comes from these words:

1.) "Hear, O our God, for we are despised; turn their reproach on their own heads."

• Prayer

2.) "The people had a mind to work."

• Determination

3.) "They told us ten times, 'From whatever place you turn, they will be upon us'"

• Focus and constant awareness

4.) "I position men behind the lower parts of the wall...."

• Action in preparation for attack

5.) "Do not be afraid of them, Remember the Lord, great and awesome."

• Inspiration from the leader to not fear and remember how great God is!

6.) "Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet rally to us there."

• An action plan and communicating the action needed

7.) "Our God will fight for us."

• Trust in God's care for the work and His support

You can find the same challenges and provisions of God in the book of Ephesians, particularly Chapter 6:10-20; "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil...." Greater is he that is in you....than he that is in the world...

Praise His Holy name....  Thank you Eddie Armstrong!