September 2: Nehemiah 4:6-9
 
Key Verse: Nehemiah 4:9
But we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat.
 
Devotion:
One thing you can always count on is you will face opposition when you do something good with or for God! Well, you probably will get opposition when you do anything good... But look at the bigger picture and see how many more people are supporting you, often silently, because you are doing something good. It is the few who have the loudest voices which you hear above everybody else though!
 
God will continue to enable you and support you when you are doing something for Him, but people around you may well take offense because they are no longer the popular ones or are no longer the ones who appear to be in charge. When you step forward and God enables you, you are taking on a position of authority which will get you noticed.
 
When Jesus came to teach us, it was not with words of encouragement to say you would not face opposition but with words of warning saying you would face opposition. This, as you can pick up from the bible, has been a problem we have faced right from the beginning of time – the more we work with and for God, the more the haters take notice and the more they are encouraged to make a noise about it!
 
I love the way Nehemiah acted. First, he prayed to God! This must always be our first reaction when we face opposition. Then, he listened to God. This may not be written down, but from past performance, this is what Nehemiah would do. He listened to God and then acted accordingly. So, lastly, he posted guards at places around the wall, not to protect against an army, but to dissuade the haters from starting in the first place. If we listen early, God will guide us quickly!
 
Points to Ponder:
Would you fight a fire by yourself?
 
Will you listen to the guidance of One who knows?