“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” John 10:10
Scheming to Harm
When word came to Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab and the rest of our enemies that I had rebuilt the wall and not a gap was left in it—though up to that time I had not set the doors in the gates— Sanballat, and Geshem sent me this message: “Come, let us meet together in one of the villages on the plain of Ono But they were scheming to harm me. Nehemiah 6:1-2
The enemy is always scheming to harm us. Four times he tried to disrupt the God given task undertaken by Nehemiah and the fifth time he sent an unsealed letter accusing him that the wall was being built for the wrong reasons. This is the nature of the enemy ; to persevere with all his might to disturb and to divert our attention from the will of God.
Nehemiah’s reply to the enemy was simple as he said “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”
Having the awareness that the enemy persistently attempts to hinder the plans that God has for our lives, we need also to persevere to achieve the goals that God has given us. On the other hand, when we devote our time to the enemy, by way of giving an attentive ear to listen to his lies and gossip, we give our precious God given time to the enemy. We do not have to step down to his level. This is what Nehemiah decided. His task was to build the wall with one mindedness and the Lord was with him to accomplish His will.
The lesson for us today is that God has given each one of us a goal and He will give us the strength to achieve it. Therefore do not give into the strategies of the enemy or be distracted by his schemes.
Prayer
Dear Lord give me the strength to persevere and know that you are with me. No weapon fashioned against will stand because you will refute all my enemies which accuse me. Amen
God bless you
Your obedient servants in Christ,
Theo and Manju