TITLE: WHEN FACE WITH INTIMIDATION
TITLE: WHEN FACE WITH INTIMIDATION
SCRIPTURE:
“When word came to Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab and the rest of our enemies that I had rebuilt the wall and not a gap was left in it—though up to that time I had not set the doors in the gates— 2 Sanballat and Geshem sent me this message: “Come, let us meet together in one of the villages on the plain of Ono.” But they were scheming to harm me; 3 so I sent messengers to them with this reply: “I am carrying on a great project and cannot go down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and go down to you?” 4 Four times they sent me the same message, and each time I gave them the same answer. 5 Then, the fifth time, Sanballat sent his aide to me with the same message, and in his hand was an unsealed letter 6 in which was written: “It is reported among the nations—and Geshem says it is true—that you and the Jews are plotting to revolt, and therefore you are building the wall. Moreover, according to these reports you are about to become their king 7 and have even appointed prophets to make this proclamation about you in Jerusalem: ‘There is a king in Judah!’ Now this report will get back to the king; so come, let us meet together.” 8 I sent him this reply: “Nothing like what you are saying is happening; you are just making it up out of your head.” 9 They were all trying to frighten us, thinking, “Their hands will get too weak for the work, and it will not be completed.” But I prayed, “Now strengthen my hands.” 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. 14 Remember Tobiah and Sanballat, my God, because of what they have done; remember also the prophet Noadiah and how she and the rest of the prophets have been trying to intimidate me. 15 So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of Elul, in fifty-two days.
OBSERVATION:
Nehemiah continues to face distractions and obstacles as he continues to build the wall. Satan never lacks ways of coming against anything and everything that God has called us to do. One thing I have a experience often is Satan is a creative foe. He never lacks ways and means to discourage the believer to the point that we give up and stop doing what God has called us to do.
Today in this text Nehemiah is dealing with constant INTIMIDATION. I am sure many of us have dealt with people who tries to intimidate you and shame you. There are real bullies who loves to impose their will on others. We have people who intimidate others in their workplace, in schools, even in relationships that goes sour. Nehemiah’s enemies seem to be growing by the day leading up to the completion of the wall. I have some takeaway from Nehemiah’s response to INTIMIDATION.
- Be wise and be discerning of your enemies’ schemes. Nehemiah’s discern his enemies’ schemes by listening carefully to the suggestions to meet in a secluded area. Why meet in a village in the plains of Ono far away from where the wall is built? Seems crazy. Don’t let people lure you away from what you are doing.
- Be firm in my response to their request. Leave no room for them to entice you away from your purpose.
- Be aware that intimidation will never stop until they fulfill their wishes. Five times they send Nehemiah intimidation letters, but he never fall for it. Never let your enemies sense of urgency to weakened your resolved about your own purpose.
- Be aware that Intimidations are often fill with made up stories in your enemy’s heads. Be discerning.
- Be aware that Intimidators also comes to sounding spiritual, by using those who pretend to be for you and brings you spiritual arguments to persuade and harm you. Nehemiah caught the enemy’s strategy to use the house of God as a cover.
- Be very firm with your respond and give no room for the Satan to bring fear into you to give in. Nehemiah 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!”
- Be careful of those who comes to you and gives prophecy. Nehemiah realized that the priest was not sent by God but by his enemies pretending to have his welfare. There are prophets hired for profit who speaks spiritual things that can deceive you.
- Lastly, Keep Praying and stay with God. Nehemia, prayed and he completed the wall. His prayer, “Remember Tobiah and Sanballat, my God, because of what they have done; remember also the prophet Noadiah and how she and the rest of the prophets have been trying to intimidate me. So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of Elul, in fifty-two days.”
APPLICATION:
Intimidation comes from every direction and they will never stop. Today, I learn to always trust God’s direction and never give room to the devil to have the upper hand in any areas of my life. I will commit to discernments and the firmness of my response to those who seek to intimidate or distracted me. I want to stay closer to the Lord’s purpose and vision until the end.
PRAYER:
Heavenly Father, I pray you grant me continuous wisdom and discernment to know how to respond to many things Satan tries to distract and intimidate me. I look to you for your covering and leading. Please help me to be sensitive to the leading of your Holy Spirit. Please lead me to fulfill your purpose and will in my life. In Jesus name, Amen!
