Key Passage: Nehemiah 4:1-10
In our Devotional 10, we saw how A Leader Identifies his Enemies and Responds to them wisely. But in this devotional, we are looking into a place where the leader has to be silent and pray to GOD alone! When the enemies including Sanballat, found that the determined Jews were progressing and would finish their works, he came again to defame and demotivate the workers. In Nehemiah 2:19-20, we see Nehemiah having a conversation with Sanballat and Tobiah who came to ridicule them. But, when the enemies came this time, Nehemiah and the other Jews kept quiet!
Sanballat used strong words of discouragement in his talk. “These feeble Jews…”, “Will they…”, “Will they sacrifice, will they fortify themselves, will they make an end in a day, and will they revive the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish… ?”
They mentioned the wall as “Their (the Jews’) stone wall…” The enemies again forgot that the Jews were working with GOD’s power and sanction. As they were ignorant, they considered it merely, as a work of the Jews. The enemies always fail to identify the inspiration behind our works. And when we are sure about the inspiration behind our works, we ought to be silent and stay humble before the LORD.
Though all this had happened, the people and the leader stayed silent! Prayer was their first resource, not their last resort! We see Nehemiah become emotional as he later changes the tone of his prayer to, “for they have provoked you!” Remember, the battle belongs to the LORD and all we need to do, is to be still and faithfully continue the works entrusted to us by GOD.
As the Jews defended their work in prayer, they were unitedly able to build the wall to half its height. You don’t have to show your ability through your words. Stay calm and do things with GOD’s guidance and power. The victory is ours.
Practical Living: There will be a time when we ought to speak up, and a time to be quiet and pour our hearts before the LORD. Learn to discern every situation and be a spiritual leader.
