The Voice of Opposition
Nehemiah 6:1-4 (ESV)
Now when Sanballat and Tobiah and Geshem the Arab and the rest of our enemies heard that I had built the wall and that there was no breach left in it (although up to that time I had not set up the doors in the gates), Sanballat and Geshem sent to me, saying, “Come and let us meet together at Hakkephirim in the plain of Ono.” But they intended to do me harm. And I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing a great work and I cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and come down to you?” And they sent to me four times in this way, and I answered them in the same manner.
Reflection
When we are in the Lord’s will and doing His work, we are going to have distractions. People will question us and wonder why we are doing what we are doing. They try to be a voice of doubt in our heads. They try to make us question the reason why we are doing what we are doing.
Take Nehemiah’s situation. His enemies saw what he was doing, and were desperate to get him to stop. They wanted to distract him, to draw him away from the task that he was called by God to do. They tried to lure him away, but Nehemiah was in step with God. He knew his calling and knew that God was leading him. Because of this, he was able to know that these men had ill intentions and actually meant harm to him.
We should be like Nehemiah. We should be so close to God in our everyday lives that when people question what we are doing or try to distract us from our goal, we can be confident in knowing that it is not from God. Like Nehemiah, we can know that we are hearing a voice of opposition, trying to distract us from our greater purpose. In those moments, we have to be able to answer just like Nehemiah did. We should have the confidence to say “I am doing a great work and I cannot come down.” When we are close in step with God, we will know how to combat the voices of opposition that are trying to distract us and take us away from what He is calling us to do. Only by building and strengthening our relationship with God can we have the confidence to say what Nehemiah did. Have confidence that you are doing His work and do not come down from it!
Action Steps
Are there voices of opposition in your life that are trying to distract you from doing God’s work? Reflect on how God wants you to respond to them.
Prayer
Lord, I thank You that You are always with me. I pray that I am able to continue to strengthen my relationship with You so that we are walking side by side. I want to be so close to You that when I hear those voices that may have an intention to harm me, I know You are there and You will guide me through. Help me to stay focused on doing Your will and knowing that there is a greater purpose for it. Help me to be able to distinguish between Your voice and the voice of opposition.
Now when Sanballat and Tobiah and Geshem the Arab and the rest of our enemies heard that I had built the wall and that there was no breach left in it (although up to that time I had not set up the doors in the gates), Sanballat and Geshem sent to me, saying, “Come and let us meet together at Hakkephirim in the plain of Ono.” But they intended to do me harm. And I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing a great work and I cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and come down to you?” And they sent to me four times in this way, and I answered them in the same manner.
Reflection
When we are in the Lord’s will and doing His work, we are going to have distractions. People will question us and wonder why we are doing what we are doing. They try to be a voice of doubt in our heads. They try to make us question the reason why we are doing what we are doing.
Take Nehemiah’s situation. His enemies saw what he was doing, and were desperate to get him to stop. They wanted to distract him, to draw him away from the task that he was called by God to do. They tried to lure him away, but Nehemiah was in step with God. He knew his calling and knew that God was leading him. Because of this, he was able to know that these men had ill intentions and actually meant harm to him.
We should be like Nehemiah. We should be so close to God in our everyday lives that when people question what we are doing or try to distract us from our goal, we can be confident in knowing that it is not from God. Like Nehemiah, we can know that we are hearing a voice of opposition, trying to distract us from our greater purpose. In those moments, we have to be able to answer just like Nehemiah did. We should have the confidence to say “I am doing a great work and I cannot come down.” When we are close in step with God, we will know how to combat the voices of opposition that are trying to distract us and take us away from what He is calling us to do. Only by building and strengthening our relationship with God can we have the confidence to say what Nehemiah did. Have confidence that you are doing His work and do not come down from it!
Action Steps
Are there voices of opposition in your life that are trying to distract you from doing God’s work? Reflect on how God wants you to respond to them.
Prayer
Lord, I thank You that You are always with me. I pray that I am able to continue to strengthen my relationship with You so that we are walking side by side. I want to be so close to You that when I hear those voices that may have an intention to harm me, I know You are there and You will guide me through. Help me to stay focused on doing Your will and knowing that there is a greater purpose for it. Help me to be able to distinguish between Your voice and the voice of opposition.
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