5 Attacks Of Ridicule & A Righteous Response | Nehemiah 4:2-3

And he said in the presence of his brothers and of the army of Samaria, “What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they restore it for themselves? Will they sacrifice? Will they finish up in a day? Will they revive the stones out of the heaps of rubbish, and burned ones at that?” Tobiah the Ammonite was beside him, and he said, “Yes, what they are building—if a fox goes up on it he will break down their stone wall!” — Nehemiah 4:2-3 SHOUT OUT: Joey Johnson from Woodbury, MN. Thank you for being a regular listener. And don't forget about the questions at the bottom they are great for reflection and discussion with other men. So yesterday, we referred to the fact that when physical force cannot be used to oppose someone else, ridicule is often the weapon of choice. Today, I want you to notice the five questions of ridicule by Sanballat. Here they are: What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they restore it for themselves? Will they sacrifice? Will they finish up in a day? Will they revive the stones out of the heaps of rubbish, and burned ones at that? What we have here are five attacks of ridicule. I have organized them into five categories. They are ridiculed for their: Strength. Ability. Faith. Endurance. Skill. These are always the attacks of ridicule. They are designed to make us feel stripped of our strength, doubted in our abilities, weak in our faith, weary in our endurance, and devalued in our skills. That is why opponents on the sports fields use trash talk. It's also why antagonists on social media call to cancel people. This is also why a bully at school talks the way he does. They attempt to demean our strength, ability, faith, endurance, and skill. They mean to demean. (See the pun there?) As believers, when we act righteously for God, we should expect ridicule. Rather than being disheartened by it, we must be prepared, arming ourselves for this spiritual challenge. And the way we fight is with Scripture in the war of our mind. Therefore: When our strength is ridiculed, we remember that our strength comes from the Lord. (Isaiah 40:31) When our ability is ridiculed, we remember our worth is defined by God, not the opposition's opinions. (1 Samuel 16:7) When our faith is ridiculed, we remember this could be a chance to give reason for the hope within us. (1 Peter 3:15) When our endurance is ridiculed, we remember perseverance shapes character. (Romans 5:3-4) When our skill is ridiculed, we remember to focus on refining our skills so they bring glory to God. (1 Peter 4:10) Church, this is how we fight. So, are you fighting a battle with ridicule today? If so, fight back God's way, and you are sure to win in good time. And just wait till you see how Nehemiah responds tomorrow! ASK THIS: Reflect on a time when you experienced ridicule for your faith, strength, abilities, endurance, or skills. How did you respond in that moment, and how might you approach a similar situation differently in the future, armed with the insights from Nehemiah 4:2-3 and the related scriptures? In what areas of your life do you most often feel the sting of ridicule? Discuss how you can apply specific scriptures to these situations to reinforce your confidence in God's purpose and plan, transforming moments of ridicule into opportunities for spiritual growth and witness. DO THIS: Let God fight for you and fight the internal ridicule. PRAY THIS: Father, grant me the courage and wisdom to face ridicule with grace and strength, trusting that my identity and worth are firmly rooted in You and not in the fleeting opinions of this world. Help me to use every challenge as an opportunity to glorify You, drawing strength from Your Word and reflecting Your love in all that I do. Amen. PLAY THIS: Surrounded (Fight My Battles). 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