TURN THEIR REPROACH. Nehemiah 4:4-5
Ridicule seems very effective against some of God's people, as it embarrasses and discourages them to the point of defeat. Nehemiah's spiritual leadership was evident when these challenges arose. He didn't trade insults with Sanballat and Tobiah. He ignored them publicly and prayed privately. The most effective way to confront and deal with opposition is to go to the highest authority available to us and have that Person deal with the matter. "God is still on His throne, And He will remember His own. Though trials oppress us And burdens distress us, He never will leave us alone."
Nehemiah knew that those who opposed the Jews were opposing God. In his prayer, he turned to God with spiritual insight and understanding. "Vengeance belongeth unto Me. I will recompense, saith the Lord." His prayer was not that the Jews would take revenge on their enemies, but that the enemies would not succeed in dishonoring God by dishonoring His people. Divine justice against sin has never been abandoned in an effort to make everyone "feel comfortable" by tolerating evil. In our day, we can commit the whole matter to God in prayer; leave it there and go on with our own work. Our Lord, when "He was reviled, reviled not again. When He suffered, He threatened not; but committed Himself to Him that judgeth righteously."
The third prayer of Nehemiah was offered after the Jews had been taunted and ridiculed by Sanballat and Tobiah. The essence of his prayer was that he believed they were mocking God and that God had to decide what to do with them. Nehemiah was angry, but he didn’t take matters into his own hands. The words he used in prayer were acceptable under a legalist system, but they are generally not what we would pray in this Day of Grace.
We learn that instead of taking matters into our own hands and then asking God to bless them, it should be the other way around. Gracious words are more suitable in times of opposition, torment, mockery, rejection, and when we are cursed. Stephen’s words are especially fitting when we face adversity and become discouraged. “Lord, lay not this sin to their charge,” and leave the outcome with Him.
Trusting God while working in a hostile environment doesn’t necessarily make the work easier, nor does it mean the hostility will cease unless God chooses to intervene. Righteousness in private prayer is seen and heard by God when we communicate with Him alone. Then the guidelines in the pattern of prayer our Lord gave to His disciples guide us in our approach to God. In our prayer, we affirm our confidence in our Father’s ability to meet our needs.
We focus on God, His name, will, and kingdom when we pray. When we petition in prayer, we know what God can do. Order will be followed by people submitting to the will of God. Pray confidently, knowing that God will answer suitably because He is our good and gracious Father. To ask means to express in words exactly what our request is. To seek is not just to make a casual comment at the throne of grace, but our attitude is that of one who is sincere and genuine. Knocking indicates the importance we place on the requests we make.
Persistence in prayer is not an attempt to coerce God but evidence of how seriously we take the value and power of prayer. God will not always give us what we want, but what is best for us. Grace gives what is right and best, not necessarily what is wanted.
What should we do when “evil men and seducers wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived”? The most powerful resource available to us at all times and in every situation is prayer. It’s easy to lose courage and faith when we look around, because people and governments often resist God’s just and effective laws. With faith and courage, we should continue to pray and trust God—even if we don’t see an immediate answer. Our entire life must be lived consistently with our prayers, or else they become mere form rather than genuine. Persistence in prayer helps us grow in faith, hope, and character as we become more aware of God’s grace, mercy, and wisdom toward us. Our Just Judge understands what we mean, even when our words fail to fully express our feelings.
Faith in God removes obstacles from the minds, hearts, and lives of those who know and trust in the Lord. Our attitude toward God is expressed in prayer: how we pray, the motives behind our prayers, and our assurance that God hears and answers prayer. Our faith is in God Himself, not in the object of our request. Effectiveness in prayer depends on whether we are believers in the One who answers prayer, our attitude toward other people, our motive in praying in the first place, and the actual reason for the request. Our prayers should always have God’s interests in mind, not just our own. Faith, when it is real, changes us within, and pride, vengeance, hurt, and demands are rejected, as faith, forgiveness, and love give power to prayer.