Today I read Nehemiah 6, in which their enemies made false rumors about Nehemiah because he finished the walls and were upset because nobles talked about all the work he completed. Today I considered that jealous people will try to stop you just because they are hearing about your good works by we can pray for direction.
Lies and Deceit to Try to Stop You
Enemies will use lies and deceit to try to stop you from completing the work but you must not fall into their trap and keep working (Nehemiah 6:1-19). Sanballat, Tobiah, and other enemies heard that they completed building and fixing the walls of the city so they tried to get Nehemiah to leave the city and meet them. Nehemiah knew they were trying to hurt or kill him so he responded no he was working on something important to their first four requests. The fifth request was a letter everyone could hear saying they built the walls to rebel against the king and Nehemiah replied that was not true. While at Shemaiah’s house, he tried to get Nehemiah to sin by saying hide in the temple because people were going to try to kill him. Nehemiah knew they were hired by Tobiah and Sanballat with priests and a prophetess also plotting against him. The walls were truly complete after 52 days of work and the nobles were sending letters to Tobiah about Nehemiah’s deeds. Tobiah sent letters to Nehemiah to try to make him afraid.
Questions and Thoughts for Today
We can look at the example of how they did Nehemiah to know how people can try to deceive us because of jealousy and envy. They tried to trick Nehemiah to go somewhere so they could harm him. Then they tried to scare everyone in the city with the open letter. Then they tried to get Nehemiah to sin by going in the temple where he was not supposed to be so they had something bad on him. Then they continued to try to make him afraid.
This happens in everyday life. People from adults to children go somewhere with someone when they shouldn’t and get harmed or killed. People are scared by threats they receive to do something they should not do and others now hold that thing against them by blackmailing them. But we have something not everyone has a trustworthy God and the Holy Spirit to guide us.
Do you pray before going places with people and doing things you are not sure about doing so you can be guided by the Holy Spirit to the correct action?