10 One day I went to the house of Shemaiah son of Delaiah, the son of Mehetabel, who was shut in at his home. He said, “Let us meet in the house of God, inside the temple, and let us close the temple doors, because men are coming to kill you—by night they are coming to kill you.”
11 But I said, “Should a man like me run away? Or should someone like me go into the temple to save his life? I will not go!” 12 I realized that God had not sent him, but that he had prophesied against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. 13 He had been hired to intimidate me so that I would commit a sin by doing this, and then they would give me a bad name to discredit me. (Nehemiah 6:10-13)
Thoughts: Nehemiah did not have the full support of everyone. Some were religious people who were motivated by the money of non-believers. One prophet, Shemaiah, wanted Nehemiah to shut himself up in the Temple in fear. But we are not called to live by fear- but we are called to live by faith. So Nehemiah rhetorically asks, "Should a man run away?" If Nehemiah had retreated for his own safety, he would have hurt the Lord's cause tremendously for his faith would have meant little. So we are called not fear but to live by faith (Hebrews 10:38, Habakkuk 2:3,4- "But my righteous one will live by faith and if he shrinks back I will not be pleased with him.").
Prayer: Give me grace, O God to be fearless, courageous, faithful for you.
Nick Wallenda tightrope walking the Grand Canyon 2013.
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