INSIGHT
Nehemiah resists the efforts of the adversaries to discourage him or distract him from working on the wall. He is convinced that he is doing the right thing, and he steadfastly resists the interference. The Old Testament often has a literal illustration of a spiritual truth that is explained in the New Testament. In Ephesians 6:11, we read that we are to "put on the whole armor of God": the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit. Once these are in place, we "resist"—"stand firm!" It is also a testament to pushing through and completing what we have been sent to do. So many times we lose heart and stop what we were sent to do when God's deliverance is right around the corner.
PRAYER
Praise God for victory in spiritual warfare as we use His armor:
Oh come, let us sing to the Lord!
Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving;
Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.
For the Lord is the great God,
And the great King above all gods. . . .
O come, let us worship and bow down;
Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.
For He is our God,
And we are the people of His pasture,
And the sheep of His hand
(Psalm 95:1-3, 6-7).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving.
As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
All we like sheep have gone astray;
We have turned, every one, to his own way;
And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all (Isaiah 53:6).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
"All that the Father gives Me will come to Me,
and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out" (John 6:37).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
- Greater faithfulness with your time
- The president and world affairs
- Your activities for the day
- Whatever else is on your heart
The Lord shall preserve you from all evil;
He shall preserve your soul.
The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in
From this time forth, and even forevermore (Psalm 121:7-8).
