When A Man Prays Judgment | Nehemiah 4:4-5

Hear, O our God, for we are despised. Turn back their taunt on their own heads and give them up to be plundered in a land where they are captives. Do not cover their guilt, and let not their sin be blotted out from your sight, for they have provoked you to anger in the presence of the builders. — Nehemiah 4:4-5 SHOUT OUT: Robert Russa from San Jacinto, CA. Thank you for being a regular listener and a donor to this ministry. Your partnership makes this possible. So, if you read this text only once, and you tend to interpret Scripture with a militant angle, you might think, "Heck yeah. That's my man, Nehemiah." But you might want to read this a few times because there's something enlightening about this prayer (and others in Nehemiah) that might teach you something special about how a leader responds to ridicule and opposition. First, he prays. Nehemiah uses a supernatural weapon. Against antagonistic words, he responds with supernatural words. He isn't hurling insults back at his enemies. He isn't even inciting the people to do the same. He prays. Second, he acknowledges the people's emotions. "We are despised." Why does he say this? Because words hurt, and ridicule is emotionally and spiritually oppressive. If you doubt this, talk to a Jewish student at Columbia, Cornell, or the University of Pennsylvania right now. Or talk to your child about bullying at school or on their social media. Ridicule can have a profound emotional effect. But Nehemiah steps in and acts as a protector in prayer, which men should do as husbands, fathers, and leaders. We should stand at the gate just like the Good Shepherd did. Third, he prays for divine judgment. This part of his prayer is intriguing because it appears to conflict with Jesus's teaching on loving our enemies. But read it carefully. Nehemiah isn't expressing hate toward his enemies. He asks God to enact his divine justice, as he has since the beginning. What's primarily on his mind isn't just the people's emotions or their despised status, but more so that they have despised God. Therefore, he's asking God to be God for the ridicule the enemies have heaped on him. Nehemiah is more concerned about God's justice and wants his enemies to realize that God is not to be ridiculed. This is what's challenging about being a spiritual leader sometimes. It's knowing how to do what Nehemiah did here: Recognizing the spiritual battle. Understanding the state of God's people. Reacting with godliness on God's mission. But Nehemiah got it right. And you know why? Because he was practicing this long before this situation arose. Go back to chapter one. What do you think Nehemiah was doing in the four months before this moment? God was preparing him in the gym of prayer for battles just like this so that when he faced it, he responded in the exact same way. So, if you want to be like Nehemiah, then you need to do the same. ASK THIS: How can Nehemiah's response to ridicule and opposition in these verses guide us in dealing with similar situations in our lives? Reflect on a time when you faced ridicule or opposition. How did you respond, and how might Nehemiah's approach inspire a different response in the future? Nehemiah chose prayer and seeking divine justice over retaliation against his enemies. In what ways can this approach be challenging in our current society, and how can we apply this lesson in our roles as leaders, fathers, or mentors? Discuss practical steps we can take to react with godliness and prayer in the face of ridicule or opposition. DO THIS: Pray for God's justice in the world today. PRAY THIS: Lord, grant me the wisdom and strength to respond to ridicule and opposition with prayer and faith, as Nehemiah did, and guide me to seek Your justice and righteousness in all conflicts, trusting in Your divine plan. Help me to lead with compassion and protect those under my care, reflecting Your love and grace in every action. Amen. PLAY THIS: For Me and My House. 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