This is a hard hearted prayer from Nehemiah, but it had to be. The enemy was determined to stop the building, and Nehemiah did not want his fellow workers either depressed or weakened in any way. Listening to the enemy weakens our faith and makes us think like the world.
The voice of the enemy is never far away when God is at work in our lives. None of the enemies suggestions here are true, and the repairs completed by Nehemiah and his team lasted for generations. Satan never speaks the truth. We must choose the voices we listen to.
Here a whole team of priests were labourers. Those of us that imagine priests wearing long robes, looking holy can not imagine them building walls! But their role is to do what is necessary to build and encourage a believing community, and this community of Jewish believers certainly needed help.
The devil has never changed, he succeeded in tempting Eve with His words, and he still uses the same tactics using people who do not accept that The God of Heaven is greater, stronger, wiser and much more powerful than His enemy has ever been and ever will be. Hallelujah!
Néhémie n'a pas été dérangé ou découragé par la quantité de travail qu'il y avait à faire. Le témoignage de Néhémie a bouleversé le cœur des auditeurs ce jour-là. Entendre comment Dieu a donné aux gens qui ne sont pas croyants la grâce de faire partie de Ses plans peut être un réel encouragement.
This message that Nehemiah was conveying to the priests, nobles and officials seems to be stating the obvious. These leaders had all been looking at the desolation of Jerusalem ever since they arrived back from exile hoping to pick up where their fathers had left off over a generation previously.
After resting from his journey for three days and discussing his ideas with a few trusted people, Nehemiah set off on his first secret mission. To look at what needed doing, and to make his plans about how to proceed. Life with The Lord can be interesting and often exciting!!
It seems throughout life for many that whenever there are good things happening, there is something bad lurking in the background trying to spoil our joy, and ruin the project. Right from the beginning of time in Eden Satan has been trying to ruin things for the children of God.
Nehemiah asked not just for leave of absence, but that the king send him. He would then travel under the authority of the king, just as someone travelling today would gain entry to a foreign country, because they carried papers saying they were an emissary of a foreign power.
This verse is often used in teaching on prayer to say that panic prayers, arrow prayers are OK. Lord help me! or Oh My God! are arrow prayers. It is interesting that in a moment of crisis many who do not even believe in God will call out to Him.
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