DAY 23 OF 40 - Better Together Through Prayer And The Word

DAY 23 OF 40 - Better Together Through Prayer And The Word

Nehemiah 6:1-4

1 Now when Sanballat and Tobiah and Geshem the Arab and the rest of our enemies heard that I had built the wall and that there was no breach left in it (although up to that time I had not set up the doors in the gates), 2 Sanballat and Geshem sent to me, saying, "Come and let us meet together at Hakkephirim in the plain of Ono." But they intended to do me harm. 3 And I sent messengers to them, saying, "I am doing a great work and I cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and come down to you?" 4 And they sent to me four times in this way, and I answered them in the same manner.

DAY 23 – FOILING THE ENEMY’S TACTICS

Our scripture takes us back to the building of the wall. The walls are actually completed, but the gates have not been set. Nehemiah faces yet another challenge…

SCRIPTURE: Nehemiah 6:1 Now when it was reported to Sanballat and Tobiah, and to Geshem the Arabian, and to the rest of our enemies, that I had built the wall, and that there was no breach left therein; (though even to that time I had not set up the doors in the gates;) 2 Sanballat and Geshem sent to me, saying, “Come, let us meet together in the villages in the plain of Ono.” But they intended to harm me.

3 I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing a great work, so that I can’t come down. Why should the work cease, while I leave it, and come down to you?” 4 They sent to me four times after this sort; and I answered them the same way.

Nehemiah is following God’s plan and doing God’s work. This does not make the enemy happy, and he will try anyway he can to “foil” the process, as I have found even in writing this guide.

Nehemiah gets a message four times from Sanballat, the Governor of Samaria and Geshem, who was probably the chief of the Arabs. The message is, Come, let us meet together in one of the villages on the plain of Ono. Ono was about equal distance from Jerusalem to Samaria. It was about twenty miles away and would have taken Nehemiah several days to go there. It also was at the very limit of the northwest corner of Nehemiah’s territory…a hostile region.

Nehemiah recognized a vicious plan. He knew it would have stopped the work on the wall and even opened himself as well as Jerusalem for attack. But he does not respond using these tactics. He replies, “I am carrying on a great project and cannot go down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and go down to you?” Each time the message comes, Nehemiah patiently replies the same…I am busy. I have work to do here…and the work goes on.

LIFE APPLICATION: When we are in the “work of the Lord,” there are times when our enemy (Satan) will bring something across our path to get us off track. What person(s), who is in the “work of the Lord,” is God bringing to your mind today? Pray a covering of protection over them as well as yourself as you intercede for their and your ministry.

_____________________