This post is Day 16 in a series of studies about “Nehemiah”. I strongly suggest you begin with the introduction to this study, please click here to read it.

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Nehemiah – Day 16

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.

Nehemiah 4:1-3

When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became angry and was greatly incensed. He ridiculed the Jews, and in the presence of his associates and the army of Samaria, he said, “What are those feeble Jews doing? Will they restore their wall? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they finish in a day? Can they bring the stones back to life from those heaps of rubble-burned as they are?” Tobiah the Ammonite, who was at his side, said, “What they are building – even a fox climbing up on it would break down their wall of stones!”

Please note: in some Bibles this passage can be found at the end of the previous chapter.

The Thought

The voice of the enemy is never far away when God is at work in our lives. Satan never speaks the truth, he is the father of lies (John 8:44). None of the enemies suggestions here are true, and the repairs completed by Nehemiah’s team lasted for generations.

What Satan was really trying to do in this case was wear down the enthusiasm of the builders by his persistent suggestions of failure.

The first appearance of this enemy in the Bible tells us that he makes false suggestions and tries to make us think differently. “Did God really say…?” and “You will surely not die…”. He has never changed and is very much alive in today’s society, still speaking lies and making evil suggestions through many voices of authority in our world.

We must choose the voices we listen to. Much of the world’s news media seems to be in the hands of the enemy today, making evil suggestions and telling us half truths.

Action

Ask yourself today where you get your opinions from. The media or The Lord.

Pray today about for the news media, too much of it tells us only half truths.

Ask God to show you what He is doing in the world, and pray that your words will be in line with His.