Once upon a time, there was a wise man who set out to do the impossible. He planned to rebuild what had been destroyed. He engaged a king to find him supplies. He journeyed a long distance, taking nothing but faith with him. He was quite confident in his calling to construct a wall.
He had to motivate his coworkers.
He had to ignore the nay-sayers.
He had to fight the enemies who tried to stop him.
Staying away from the enemies had not worked. The enemy was bent on coming to him.
What did he tell his coworkers concerning the enemy’s arrival? “Do not open the gates of Jerusalem until the sun is hot.”
Nehemiah knew he could not stop his adversaries from approaching, but he thoughtfully determined the details of what they found.
Let them approach in the light, when they are clearly seen.
Let them approach when it’s the busiest time of day, with many others around.
Let them approach when we are ready.
Nehemiah’s plan offers wisdom for us today. Our enemy may not always be a physical soldier but a spiritual warrior bent on killing just the same. We can not control our enemy’s arrival. But we can control how he finds us.
Make him come into the light to find us. The Prince of Darkness loathes the light of Jesus. Let’s saturate our spirits, our minds, and our hearts with God’s love through His word, the Bible. When we are reflecting the light of Jesus, Satan has no choice but to approach the light if he’s trying to get at us.
Nehemiah wanted others around when his enemy approached. We need the love and encouragement of people who will spiritually fight for us when the enemy authors an agonizing battle. We do not want to face him alone. Friends and family of faith will happily hold us in prayer and keep words and deeds of encouragement coming.
Nehemiah wanted the enemy to find him ready. How do we prepare for our enemy?
Prayer
Reading and knowing God’s word
Refusing to yield to fear and anxiety
Self-care for the best physical, mental, and spiritual health
Nehemiah did not halt his efforts to fulfill his calling in order to prepare for invasion. He constructed the wall while fortifying his own defenses.
God calls us to follow Him and His leading while trusting in Him. By following Nehemiah’s instructions we can survive the enemy’s attacks and even emerge victorious!