In the book of Nehemiah, Nehemiah said, “Then sent Sanballat his servant unto me in like manner the fifth time with an open letter in his hand. Wherein was written, It is reported among the heathen, and Gashmu said it, that you and the Jews think to rebel: for which cause you build the wall, that you may be their king, according to these words. And you have also appointed prophets to preach of you at Jerusalem, saying, There is a king in Judah: and now shall it be reported to the king according to these words. Come now therefore, and let us take counsel together. Then I sent unto him, saying, There are no such things done as you say, but you feign them out of your own heart”, and in chapter six and verse nine of Nehemiah, Nehemiah said, “they all made us afraid”, where we read,
For they all made us afraid, saying, their hands shall be weakened from the work, that it not be done.
Now therefore, O God, strengthen my hands.
The verse reads, “For they all made us afraid, saying, their hands shall be weakened from the work, that it not be done.”Nehemiah began with the words, “for they all” or “because, since and on account that they, Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem and other enemies each, every, the whole and everyone” “made us afraid” which means “caused us, Nehemiah and the people of Judah, to fear, be in dread and astonished”, “saying” or “uttering, declaring and proclaiming”, “their hands shall be weakened” which means “their, Nehemiah and the people of Judah's, physical hands will exist as relaxed, sunk down and disheartened” “from the work” or “separate and apart from the labor, workmanship and rebuilding”, “that it not be done” which means “so it, the work, labor and workmanship upon the barrier wall, in no way or manner exists as performed and accomplished”. Nehemiah shared how his and the people of Judah's enemies “Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem and the other hating foes” caused his and the people of Judah's physical hands to be disheartened apart from the labor upon the wall so that it was not finished.
The verse goes on to say, “Now therefore, O God, strengthen my hands.” Nehemiah continued with the words, “now therefore” or “at this time, then, wherefore and on this account”, “O God” which means “O Supreme Deity”, “strengthen my hands” or “make strong, mighty and capable my, Nehemiah's, physical hands”. Nehemiah prayed for Jehovah God, the Supreme Deity, to make his physical hands strong and mighty.
When we meditate upon the words in this verse, we learn how Nehemiah prayed to Jehovah God again. First, he confessed how the words of their hating foes caused their physical hands to be disheartened to the degree that they were unable to complete the barrier wall. He asked Jehovah God to make his “physical hands” to be strong in the midst of their words because he was purposed to accomplish that which God assigned to him. God wants us to be about His business, and when we receive His Son Jesus who was crucified on the cross and raised from the dead three days later as our “Savior and Lord”, He will forgive our sins, grant us everlasting life and put within us a passion and desire to have His strength to perform and accomplish whatever He has put in our hearts to do.
Next time Nehemiah says, “I came unto the house of Shemaiah”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until tomorrow…there is more…
See more devotionals on the website "thewordfortodaywithray.com" or look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".
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