Open Doors for Deceit

Read: Nehemiah 6
“My God, think on Tobiah and Sanballat according to these their works, and on the prophetess Noadiah and the rest of the prophets who would have put me in fear.” Nehemiah 6:14

Examine:
In this chapter Nehemiah’s enemies switch tactics. Instead of using outright threats they move into the realm of deceit. With each encounter, Nehemiah stood strong because he would only take cues from God; not man.

Apply:
There are three weaknesses in me that open the door for Satan to take me down in deceit. The first is fear of man issues. Fear of man does not mean that I sit around and tremble or that I become afraid of a person. Fear of man means that I allow the opinions of others to shape me because my pride doesn’t want to appear foolish in front of them. Fear of man means that I allow the words of others to take precedent over the voice of God in my life.

Wanting an easy way out is the second weakness that allows me to be deceived. The Bible says that the road that leads to life is narrow. A mission from God takes time to develop, requires much growth in me, and demands the sacrifice of my life. Satan litters the pathway with promises of relief and rest. If my heart is seeking a way to lessen the cost, then I am a sitting duck for the enemy.

Not knowing God’s desire of me is the final weakness that opens the door for me to find myself blinded by deception. My God is not silent. He speaks, He draws near, and He leads. He is not a God of confusion or chaos. The problem lies in that I do not always hear what He is saying. Competing demands drown out the voice of God. Finding clarity from God demands margin to sit still and necessitates me putting aside all things to pursue His will.

Pray:
Today it is all too much. That is the voice that I hear stirring inside of me. The pressure of all that is before me has captured my focus and I find myself sinking in a sea of doubt and anxiousness. This is a familiar place. As I learn to walk on water I often make the mistake of losing sight of You Jesus. From this place, I turn my eyes back to you and extend my hand.

Lift me up today Jesus. Take away my fear of man, stir in me a resolve that does not look for shortcuts, and give me the power to subdue any thought that competes with the will of our Father. You and I are joint heirs. You are my Savior. You are my advocate. You are my model. The cup that I carry is Yours, the yolk on my shoulder is the one You have given, and the passion that stirs in my heart is Your heart for those You said I should give my life to serve. All things in heaven are available to You and You challenged me to be so bold as to ask for the things needed to accomplish the will of our Father. So I am calling on Your word today. You know the size of my lack and the enormity of my task. I am calling on You to tangibly close the gap today and strengthen my heart to continue to run after You.