Can't Distract Me ya Liar
2 —Sanballat and Geshem sent this message: “Come and meet with us at Kephirim in the valley of Ono.”
I knew they were scheming to hurt me3 so I sent messengers back with this: “I’m doing a great work; I can’t come down. Why should the work come to a standstill just so I can come down to see you?”4 Four times they sent this message and four times I gave them my answer.5 The fifth time—same messenger, same message—Sanballat sent an unsealed letter
6 with this message:
“The word is out among the nations—and Geshem says it’s true—that you and the Jews are planning to rebel. That’s why you are rebuilding the wall. The word is that you want to be king7 and that you have appointed prophets to announce in Jerusalem, ‘There’s a king in Judah!’ The king is going to be told all this—don’t you think we should sit down and have a talk?”8 I sent him back this: “There’s nothing to what you’re saying. You’ve made it all up.”
9 They were trying to intimidate us into quitting. They thought, “They’ll give up; they’ll never finish it.”
I prayed, “Give me strength.”
How many times a day do we get thrown a distraction to keep us from doing the work of God. Sometimes the distractions last hours, days, and even years (as I have so painfully experienced) I find so much courage and strength in this story because i can just picture my scrawny self mid-evil style up a wall working like the Brawny man hammering and chizzeling rock away right along with all the biblical tough guys.
The reality though is I make myself act tough even though I'm so terrified that i will never finish or maybe even never start the work God created me to do. But dangit not only am i going to start the work but I'm going to finish it. I love that when Nehemiah gets the letter sent to intimidate and discourage him, He didn't stop his work, he didn't even climb off his ladder, he just dictated a letter back never moving from his job (my translation) "shut up liar! we all know your full of crap) Then as soon as the messenger left Nehemiah prayed, "Give me strength."
I love that part, what a tough guy. asking God to give you strength is not a weakness, His strength is only made perfect in our weakness. Even though none of the threats were true, they still shook him a little, like threats do sometimes weather we want to admit it or not. Nehemiah WAS intimidated, those guys did scare him, BUT he never stopped the work he was called to do, he never gave the enemy the time of day, He knew they had bad intentions, but he just kept right on working just like we all should do.
I feel like a warrior today! No weapon formed against me will prosper today and no idiot with a letter will stop me from doing the work God put me on this earth to do. I am strong i am courageous, and i hear the voice of the Holy spirit. Be inspired today, be energized by the work you have been destined to do, hand picked and chosen by God. If God is for me, WHO could be against me? I mean really, who is stupid enough to be against me? I might listen to some rap music today....ha
Created over 1 year ago
