Those of you who attended this Sundays Business meeting heard some of this in my devotional. Neh. 6 is one of those passages that God used to speak to me years ago. A few minister friends of mine have told me on occasion, "Russ, you are the hardest working pastor in the Assemblies of God." Let's get something straight here. I'm not the hardest working pastor, believe me! But I do believe that they were verbalizing the effects that Neh. 6 has had on my life.
In verses 1 - 4 Sanballat and Geshem try to get Nehemiah to leave the city and meet them in the plains of Ono. Bottom line, it was for the purpose of assassinating him. Nehemiah wouldn't do it! Instead he send the message back "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?" or "Hey, guys we're not coming down off the wall"
Then Sanballat send the message that the king is about to learn about your "plans" to become king and revolt against Artaxerxes. Do you remember in Nehemiah 1 where I stressed the importance of respecting authority? Here is where it pays BIG dividends. If a story like this e were to ever come to the kings ears, he would dismiss it immediately. Because he knew without any doubt that Nehemiah respected authority, that his character wouldn't allow him to rebel.
The actions of your past protect your character today.
In verses 1 - 4 Sanballat and Geshem try to get Nehemiah to leave the city and meet them in the plains of Ono. Bottom line, it was for the purpose of assassinating him. Nehemiah wouldn't do it! Instead he send the message back "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?" or "Hey, guys we're not coming down off the wall"
Then Sanballat send the message that the king is about to learn about your "plans" to become king and revolt against Artaxerxes. Do you remember in Nehemiah 1 where I stressed the importance of respecting authority? Here is where it pays BIG dividends. If a story like this e were to ever come to the kings ears, he would dismiss it immediately. Because he knew without any doubt that Nehemiah respected authority, that his character wouldn't allow him to rebel.
The actions of your past protect your character today.
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