TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
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.” Nehemiah 6:10
Read: Nehemiah 6:10
Listen: Nehemiah 6
TODAY’S MESSAGE
Unfortunately for Nehemiah, distractions and fear are not the only tactics used against him. His enemies next turn to a more direct approach—they aim to hurt him. A prophet that Nehemiah knows pretends to have Nehemiah’s best interest in mind. Instead, he tries to trap Nehemiah. According to Jewish Law, Nehemiah is not allowed in the temple. If he follows this advice, he will lose all credibility with the Israelites. Fortunately, Nehemiah is wise enough to avoid the trap.
As we pursue “great work,” there will probably be moments of hurt along the way. We may have broken relationships and now face difficult painful circumstances. Maybe it is hard for us to remove something we need to from our lives. Perhaps we struggle to move past our failures. Or our great work might mean dealing with hurt by someone close to us like a friend, spouse, parent or child.
In these moments, we will need wisdom. But how do we get it? Pastor Aaron Buer tells us there are steps we can take to grow in wisdom: we can invite the wisdom of others, know Scripture and choose to be reflective. While simple to understand, each of these steps takes time and effort to cultivate in our lives.
IN YOUR CHAIR TIME TODAY
As we prepare for what this year might bring, a great place to start is memorizing Scripture. Spend a few minutes and memorize Galatians 6:9. “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” Consider writing this verse down and placing it somewhere you will see it regularly and repeat it to yourself.
Download a printable PDF of the BTW week here.
