Alert And Armed | Nehemiah 4:16-20

From that day on, half of my servants worked on construction, and half held the spears, shields, bows, and coats of mail. And the leaders stood behind the whole house of Judah, who were building on the wall. Those who carried burdens were loaded in such a way that each labored on the work with one hand and held his weapon with the other. And each of the builders had his sword strapped at his side while he built. The man who sounded the trumpet was beside me. And I said to the nobles and to the officials and to the rest of the people, “The work is great and widely spread, and we are separated on the wall, far from one another. In the place where you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us.” — Nehemiah 4:16-20 CALL OUT: Darrell Holden, in Pantry of Grace, serving faithfully in Ecuador. He has strategically given out our books, like Llamados A Actuar: 5 Disciplinas Para Hombres, to young men. Brother, if you need more books, let us know, and we will deliver them for free. Again, this is one of those instances where Nehemiah, as a combined spiritual, military, and political leader, recognizes the volatility of the moment. He knows that a frustrated enemy is not a content one. So, he takes preparations to the next level. He splits the labor into two teams: warriors and workers. But that's not all. The leaders are involved in both the work and warfare alongside them. In addition, every worker is armed with weapons. Lastly, they even have a plan of counterattack. Now, consider yourself as a leader. Whether you lead yourself, a family, or a large group of people, there are elements of this situation that you should always be thinking about. Every believer is a mix of a spiritual, military, and political leader who must be capable of discerning the warfare around us to determine how to implement an effective offensive and defensive strategy. I think about this every day when I am writing devotionals for you. I am trying to dig into scripture and discern the warfare around me so I can speak to you effectively. So today, take an assessment of your leadership. Where have you let your guard down? And then remember, there is a war out there. It's a war against God and his plans, and the easiest plan of attack for the enemy is an unprepared leader who has let his guard down. So get alert and get your guard up. ASK THIS: In what ways can you relate Nehemiah's strategy of simultaneously building and defending to your own life, whether in your personal faith journey, family dynamics, or leadership roles at work? How can you balance these dual responsibilities effectively? Reflecting on Nehemiah's example of preparedness and vigilance, identify areas in your life where you may have let your guard down spiritually or practically. What steps can you take to strengthen these areas and become more alert and proactive in your leadership and faith? DO THIS: Assess your leadership and be more alert. PRAY THIS: Father, grant me the wisdom of Nehemiah to discern and balance the dual roles of building and guarding in my life. Strengthen my spirit and resolve so I may lead with vigilance and faithfulness, always aligned with Your divine purpose. Amen. PLAY THIS: Whom Shall I Fear (God Of Angel Armies). 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