Our God shall fight for us. Nehemiah 4:20.
The restoration of the defenses of Jerusalem did not go forward unhindered. Satan was working to stir up opposition, and bring discouragement…. But taunts and ridicule, opposition and threats, seemed only to inspire Nehemiah with firmer determination and to arouse him to greater watchfulness. He recognized the dangers that must be met in this warfare with their enemies, but his courage was undaunted. “We made our prayer unto our God,” he declares, “and set a watch against them day and night.” …
Beside Nehemiah stood a trumpeter, and on different parts of the wall were stationed priests bearing the sacred trumpets. The people were scattered in their labors; but on the approach of danger at any point, a signal was given for them to repair thither without delay. “So we labored in the work,” Nehemiah says, “and half of them held the spears from the rising of the morning till the stars appeared.” … Nehemiah and his companions did not shrink from hardship or trying service. Neither by day nor night, not even during the short time given to sleep, did they put off their clothing, or lay aside their armor.
The opposition and discouragement that the builders in Nehemiah’s day met from open enemies and pretended friends is typical of the experience that those today will have who work for God. Christians are tried, not only by the anger, contempt, and cruelty of enemies, but by the indolence, inconsistency, lukewarmness, and treachery of avowed friends and helpers….
Satan takes advantage of every unconsecrated element for the accomplishment of his purposes. Among those who profess to be the supporters of God’s cause there are those who unite with His enemies and thus lay His cause open to the attacks of His bitterest foes. Even some who desire the work of God to prosper will yet weaken the hands of His servants by hearing, reporting, and half believing the slanders, boasts, and menaces of His adversaries…. The response of faith today will be the response made by Nehemiah, “Our God shall fight for us;” for God is in the work, and no man can prevent its ultimate success.
Conflict and Courage p. 266
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Prayer Requests
—–As some of you know, I have been having trouble with the website’s not sending out the newsletter to everyone. I did a few things differently and now some are getting it three times. Please pray that things will start working correctly. Rose
—–My granddaughter has pregnancy related high blood pressure, liver problems, and heart problems. She is scheduled for C-section at 11. I doesn’t look good at all. Please pray. Linda
—–Kimberly is in the hospital with a terrible stomach infection. Please pray for her healing. Eva
—–Please pray for Synthia who is having brain surgery today. Holly
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Dear Friends,
When Eileen was born, I did not have a clue what to expect. I had never been around babies or little children much in my growing-up years, so I was way over protective. I suddenly became conscious of the numberless germs that are everywhere. I loved her so much that I didn’t want her to come in contact with something or someone who would make her sick. I boiled every thing that she could possibly put in her mouth. I made many enemies at this time, for when someone wanted to hold her, I could see “germs” written all over them, and would not allow them to get near her. As I look back upon that time now, I realize how foolish I was.
My biggest regret was when we traveled to see my mother when Eileen was seven months old. My dearly loved grandfather was in a nursing home at that time and my mother suggested that we take Eileen there so he could see his great-grandchild. I recoiled in horror. In my mind, nursing homes equaled tons of germs all ready to “pounce on my baby! If I took my little one into such a place, she might sicken and die. I refused to let the one person who had loved me and unselfishly given of his time for me see my baby. I told my mother that I would take her there the next time we came to visit. That time never came. He died a few months later without ever having seen my child. How terrible I felt. How filled with regret.
Guilt is a crushing load. Sometimes it seems like our life is filled with regret. Try as hard as we can, we cannot undo the past. How many times have we wished we could go back to a certain time in our life and live life differently, make better decisions, be more helpful, be more considerate. How often as we are reflecting upon the happenings of the day, we feel overwhelmed with a sense of our sin, of our failure to live as our Dear Saviour longs for us to live. The tempter comes with the suggestion that we have gone too far, sinned too much, loved too little, made shipwreck of our life. It is then ,that we must remember that “God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved.” John 3:16,17 He Who gave His life for us, longs for us to cast all of our care, all of our regrets upon Him. <1 Peter 5:7>
“Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.” Isa 55:6,7 “To day if ye will hear his voice, Harden not your hearts.” Heb 3:7 “Behold, now is the accepted time, behold, now is the day of salvation.” 2 Cor 6:2 Think of it! We have the privilege of bringing to the Great Creator of the Universe all of our regrets, all of the sins that we have committed, asking forgiveness, claiming the promise “if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9 Our Loving Redeemer will say to us as He said to Mary Magdalene, “Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.” John 8:11 With His Loving Arm, He will enfold us saying, “Fear not, I will help you.” Isa 41:13 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” 2 Cor 1:3, 4 “Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile. . . .I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD, and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Ps 32:1-5
May we come to Jesus now and receive the pardon that He offers, that we may be freed from all of our past regrets. May we so “walk in newness of life” that we will not have future regrets. May we, with assurance declare, “thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption: for thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back.” Isa 38:17
Rose