Boo!

Tuesday 10-11-2016  Martínez, Argentina

Today we read: Neh 5 – 6    Psalm 146     Luke 24

S.  Neh 6:6-9 "Geshem tells me that everywhere he goes he hears that you and the Jews are planning to rebel and that is why you are building the wall. According to his reports, you plan to be their king. He also reports that you have appointed prophets to prophesy about you in Jerusalem, saying, 'Look! There is a king in Judah!' "You can be very sure that this report will get back to the king, so I suggest that you come and talk it over with me." My reply was, "You know you are lying. There is no truth in any part of your story." They were just trying to intimidate us, imagining that they could break our resolve and stop the work. So I prayed for strength to continue the work. NLT

O. Nehemiah had organized and completed the building of the protective wall around Jerusalem. Now they were hanging the gates to be able to close them in times of danger. However Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab, and the rest of their enemies found out that they had finished rebuilding the wall and that no gaps remained and they were furious.  So they threatened to send a gossip story back to the king, hoping the scare Nehemiah from completing the task. It was war of words.

A. Many times the enemy of our souls, Satan, uses scare tactics to reduce our effectiveness.  Tobiah writes, “You can be sure that these rumors will get to the ears of the king.” I have a dear lady friend that has been tricked by the enemy to live in constant fear of some neighbors that know that she has spoken out against homosexuality as an acceptable “life-style”. At every little unimportant incident, she is terrified… insisting that her enemies are sneaking into her room. It is a satanic, psychological war. She thinks they follow her on her vacation and do things to scare her. Nehemiah took it to God, prayed for strength and kept on working.

P. Oh Lord, I know that You are more powerful than all the demons of hell. May I never run away every time the enemy jumps out from behind a bush and screams, “Boo!” May I never cower to Satan’s scare tactics. Fill me with confidence in You… for You promised never to leave us or forsake us. And when You are for us, who can be against us!  Amen.

Ralph