Lord, Give Me Strength
BRD REFLECTIONS:
Nehemiah 6:1-15 and Psalm 113 (NIV)
(Lyn Tan, Archivist)
READ:
The first 15 verses tell of how Nehemiah’s enemies (namely Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab) were not pleased to see him rebuilding the wall, and about to complete it too!
So, they schemed to derail the construction works by inviting him to a meeting with them. But Nehemiah saw through the plan and refused to fall into their trap. After several failed attempts, on the fifth time, Sanballat sent a message filled with lies and accusations against Nehemiah, threatening to report the matter to the king of Persia that Nehemiah was starting a revolt (vv.1-7)
Nehemiah also did not have the support of people like Shemiah (v10) and prophetess Noadiah (v14). They conspired to trick Nehemiah to hide in the temple. But it would have been a sin, as he was not a priest. (vv10-14)
OBSERVE:
As I read the growing opposition against Nehemiah, it reminded me of an episode in a local TV drama that depicted how the main character was faced with strong opposition and harassment from her colleagues at work.
In the following episodes, the harassment got more pronounced (as in the case of Nehemiah when he was accused of making false claims and starting a revolt).
Some of us may have experienced such situations in our workplaces. A common reaction would be, ‘God, get me out of this situation.’
For Nehemiah, he ignored the harsh words and stood by the work he was doing and not be drawn into the lies and accusations. He prayed, ‘Now, strengthen my hands.’ (v9).
Nehemiah’s response to the deceptive advice to go and hide in the temple demonstrated his wisdom as he ‘tested’ the validity of the message. He did not allow himself to be tricked into believing that it was God’s will for him to enter the temple.
APPLY:
The lessons that I gleaned from the passage are:
- Do not despair, but persevere and remain steadfast in doing God’s work.
- Seek God’s strength to uphold and lift me above backbiting and trickery.
- Turn to God’s truth to test and examine the validity of self-proclaimed messengers.
DO:
I hope I do not get to face the harsh treatment and deception that Nehemiah endured. But, should I encounter critics and naysayers, I would like my first response to be, ‘Lord, give me strength.’ He is the only power that can uphold me and make me stand against my detractors. ‘If God be for us, who can be against us?’ (Romans 8:31)
PRAY:
Thank You, Heavenly Father, for always being there when we call to You, especially in the face of accusations and slander. You are always on our side, upholding us with Your mighty right hand, giving us the confidence to defeat our enemies. Help us also not to forget to praise You from the rising of the sun to the place where it sets. Your name is to be praised. May your Holy Spirit grant us wisdom and discernment to separate the truth from those who misuse Your name so that we would not be misled. In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray, Amen.
