Neh 4-6 Wisdom from God to make a difference

May 25th, Nehemiah 4-6

       To be honest, I had forgotten how much opposition Ezra and Nehemiah faced in the midst of their rebuilding project. It makes sense for the nations as they see Jerusalem as the city of God. To see it come back together is a threat and threats meet resistance.
       The tactic to slow it down...cause confusion. In this case like many others, confusion comes through fear. We don't think clearly when we are afraid. Nehemiah uses that to his advantage a little by putting clans in charge of building and defending their section of the wall. ( no one wants to have the shortest/weakest section of the wall). Fear can cause confusion, but it can also cause clarity for those who can avoid panic.
       The cool thing about God in this story is his, behind the scenes, work that could be easy to miss. In 4:5 it says that God frustrated the plan of their enemy to confuse people. Some of the lack of confusion is witnessed in the clear thinking of Nehemiah. This is not to give greater credit to Nehemiah than to God, it is to say that wisdom comes from God. One of the gifts that God gives his people is wisdom. Wisdom brings a clarity to situations that actually solves problems.
       How many times have you been in a brainstorming session where the ideas being brought forth really don't solve the real issue. This is a point of prayer for me. That Christian's out in the marketplace of life would seek wisdom from the Lord to solve the issues in our homes, neighborhoods, schools, churches, cities. There is wisdom to be found in the Lord. When we ask for it, enact it, give God the credit for it, there could be a testimony about the blessings of the Lord that comes from trouble around us being made new by the power of God.
       In our day, people don't see much reason to know or seek God. They need some visible examples of why it matters. God grant me wisdom for the issues of my day. To step into situations with wisdom from you that would make a difference and bring you glory.