Mon.’s Devo - Our Enemies

Read: Nehemiah 3:15-5:13; 1 Corinthians 7:25-40; Psalm 32:1-11; Proverbs 21:5-7
As the repairs of the wall were being made, Satan raised up his adversaries to try to stop them. Sanballat means “hatred in secret”. He mocked their ability to do the job and exaggerated the enormity of their dream trying to discourage them. He attacked their future. Tobiah attacked their past. He ridiculed what they had done so far and said that it wouldn’t hold up to a fox, let alone an army.
Sanballat and Tobiah show us how the devil will try to discourage our future with our past. He certainly doesn’t want us to have victory over our past or we will surly have victory in the future as well. God wants us to prosper in both. But it is a fight.
The workers had to be encouraged by their leaders and warriors had to be posted to defend the workers. Even the workers wore weapons day and night. When we are under attack, we need to call our prayer warriors to pray for us. During those times, the Word of God has to be close to us and we have to stand on scripture and the promises God has given us.
The next problem they faced was internal in their own ranks. The officials had made their own Jewish brothers mortgage their land for food. Some had even had to sell their daughters as slaves to their own brothers. When Nehemiah found out what was going on he was most disappointed and called a meeting of the officials. He pointed out their sin and told them to give the people back their land because they were acting just like the Babylonians and Persians that took them into slavery.
The people repented and gave the people back their land and daughters. They no longer imposed interest on loans to their fellow Jewish brothers.
We enslave our brothers by not forgiving them. It is a different kind of prison but no less of a prison. It doesn’t matter what a person owes us our only debt is to love them.
When reading the letters to the churches we have to remember that these were specific problems to specific times and places. They were the answers to the questions the churches were asking Paul and all we get privy to is the answers. When Paul is answering the questions about marriage he states that “because of the present crisis”. That is the basis for his answers. The crisis they were facing was great persecution and the possibility of separation of husbands and wives. He suggested that it might be better for them to put off getting married at this time. Also, the Romans looked at celibacy as superior, so this might make them want to think twice about getting married. Paul basically tells them to stay as they are at the present time to wait and see what was going to happen.
In times of great persecution, thought processes and priorities change. Right now, Paul was wanting them to get their relationship with Jesus right and make it their priority because it would affect their eternity which could be very near.
Lord, help us to have the right priorities for the days we are living in. Help us to not get caught up in the things that don’t matter and miss our destiny. Let your kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven.