Unshaken by Fake News & False Propaganda | Nehemiah 6:5-7

In the same way, Sanballat, for the fifth time, sent his servant to me with an open letter in his hand. In it was written, “It is reported among the nations, and Geshem also says it, that you and the Jews intend to rebel; that is why you are building the wall. And according to these reports you wish to become their king. And you have also set up prophets to proclaim concerning you in Jerusalem, ‘There is a king in Judah.’ And now the king will hear of these reports. So now come and let us take counsel together.” — Nehemiah 6:5-7 CALL OUT: Dan Benac, from Borne, TX, is a faithful listener. Thanks, brother, and may God bless your New Year. Today, we learn that Sanballat is not going to quit. After four attempts to persuade Nehemiah to come out from behind the wall for a meeting, he attempts a fifth. So what we have here is one very determined leader at an impasse with another very determined leader. But Sanballat scales it up in his fifth communication. He includes the false narrative that Nehemiah intends to rebel and establish himself as king. This is one of the interesting components of being a believer. Those who do not believe will be confused by our mission and what we stand for. They will take comments out of context, like "There is a king in Judah." They do this because they don't believe in God; therefore, they will interpret our comments as self-interested because that is the lens through which they see all of life. They assume everyone is only in it for themselves. Therefore, they will misinterpret this and turn it against us into fake news and false propaganda, which is something everyone is doing today. These tactics are as old as mankind itself. The hard part about this is it is compelling. People buy into false narratives and fake news. And they do because everyone has a natural bias in certain areas. For example, King Artaxerxes naturally believed that people were always after him. And how do I know this? He had a cupbearer who tasted all his food before he ate it. That man was Nehemiah. Therefore, Sanballat plays his hand at treasonous propaganda, knowing that Nehemiah would potentially be sensitive to this type of talk. He attacks him at his most vulnerable point. And many leaders would cave at even a hint of suspicion. But not Nehemiah. And you will have to tune in tomorrow to see exactly how he responds. So here's the application today. As a believer, you will have moments when you are misunderstood or unfairly judged. Believers should expect this from customers, supervisors, spouses, children, or even close friends. If this happens because of your beliefs and biblical convictions, make an effort to take a stand. Don't cower to fake news and false narratives in some strange attempt to appease wrong biases and avoid conflict. Stand on your godly convictions. Stay on the mission. But also check your motives, ground yourself in prayer, and stay close to God's Word. And then maintain your integrity and be resolute in all your interactions. Remember, as you take one small stand, you will have more before you. The only way to fight fake news and false narratives is to remain faithful to the truth and integrate it deep into our lives so that there is no question about our motives and mission. ASK THIS: In your own life, have you ever faced a situation where you were misunderstood or falsely accused because of your beliefs or convictions? How did you respond, and what lessons did you learn about maintaining integrity in the face of false narratives? Nehemiah stood firm against misinformation and did not compromise his mission or integrity. How can we apply this example in our daily lives, especially in situations where our faith or values are challenged? What practical steps can we take to ensure we remain true to our convictions while engaging with others who may misunderstand or oppose our beliefs? DO THIS: Be truthful and stand against false accusations. PRAY THIS: Father, grant me the strength and wisdom to stand firm in my convictions, like Nehemiah, in the face of false narratives and misunderstandings, and help me always to reflect Your truth and love in all my actions and words. Amen. PLAY THIS: Truth Is. Check out other all Vince Miller's videos and audios for small groups at: https://beresolute.org/ Get Vince's most widely read resources The Daily Devotional at: https://beresolute.org/mdd Check out more ALL IN products like the one Vince is wearing at: https://beresolute.org/product-category/all-in-hats/ ____________________________________________________________________________________ Connect with Vince socially: FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/millervince INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/vinceleemiller LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vincemiller TWITTER: https://twitter.com/vinceleemiller