Overcoming Deception

Nehemiah 6:10-13 Shemaiah said to Nehemiah-”Let us meet together in the house of God, within the temple, and let us close the doors of the temples for they are coming to kill you, and they are coming to kill you at night.” But I said, “Should a man like me flee? And could one such as I go into the temple to save his life. I will not go in.” Then I perceived that surely God had not sent him, but he uttered his prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. He was hired for this reason that I might become frightened and act accordingly and sin, so that they might have an evil report in order that they could reproach me.

Nehemiah’s enemies sought to lure him into the temple for his safely, however as a non-Levite it was a capital crime for him to enter the temple. (Numbers 3:10) Nehemiah purposed first not to disobey the Lord, and THEN he realized that the enemy purposed only to undo him. He avoided being deceived by obeying the truth that he knew.

PRAY FOR OUR MEN WHO KNOW THE LORD TO NOT BE DECEIVED -PRAY that they will cling to the truth that they know, even in the face of pressure or apparent contradiction as Nehemiah did assuring that his mind was enlightened, and causing God to enable him to see through the deception set forth by his enemies.