March 6, 2010

• responding to the enemy's taunts (Nehemiah 4:1-5)

  
  Earlier this week in my post "Your good hand continues to be on us in spite of opposition," I touched on how the work of rebuilding and repairing the walls and gates of Jerusalem was opposed. This opposition began in heaven when some of the angels rebelled against God's authority and they were cast out. We then saw in the garden how there would be enmity between the serpent and Eve's seed. Throughout the Bible we see Satan's continued attempts to destroy the people of God and thwart the work of God. But God is having none of it! God's work will not be thwarted. He is God and there is none like Him. He who has spoken will bring it to pass. Whatever our God has purposed, He will do. His plans for His Church will be fulfilled. (e.g.- see Isaiah 46).

  Jesus told us that the devil comes to steal, kill and destroy. The devil is our adversary and accuser. He is a liar, a deceiver and a murderer. As Luther wrote, He is a real foe who seeks to do us woe. Let us never forget when we are doing the work of God, Satan is busying himself trying to tear it down any way he can.
  
  Today's prayer is based on Nehemiah 4:1-5 and focuses on the temptations Satan continues to send to God's people as they are engaged in God's work...

  Nehemiah 4:1  Now when Sanballat heard that we were building the wall, he was angry and greatly enraged, and he jeered at the Jews. 2  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?” 3  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!” 4  Hear, O our God, for we are despised. Turn back their taunt on their own heads and give them up to be plundered in a land where they are captives. 5  Do not cover their guilt, and let not their sin be blotted out from your sight, for they have provoked you to anger in the presence of the builders.

  Omnipotent God,

  You set Your love on us before we loved You. You sent Jesus Christ to die for us while we were sinners. You foreknew and predestined us before we knew You. You called to us and gave us ears to hear. Our eyes were blinded to Your glory but You opened them to the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ. We came to You only because You drew us. You have given us eternal life, the life of God in our very souls!

  These things were impossible for us, but possible with You.

  Almighty Father, You were working for us while we were powerless and helpless.

  Redeemer Son, You died on the cross and did for us what we could not do.

  Holy Spirit, You came to bring us life while we were dead in our sins and transgressions.

  You, O Lord, are powerful. There is none like You. Though Satan is a defeated foe, he continues to prowl. He is powerful. More powerful than any of us, but not more powerful than You. Though he is the prince of the power of the air, though he is the ruler of this world, we know that You alone are the sovereign Ruler of all. Though it does not look like it some days, Satan has already been wholly defeated at Calvary's cross. Amen. Christ is the Victor. We confess we sometimes forget that. All things, including the devil's workings here in this world, are under Your authority. He can only do what you allow him.

  In Nehemiah we see how the temptation came at the builders of the wall to focus on themselves rather than focus on You.

  "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?”

  We face similar temptations. We hear taunts such as these (from outside ourselves and from within our own minds). As we begin to entertain such questions, we begin to doubt and to fear. We begin to doubt and question Your goodness, Your sovereignty, Your sufficiency, Your power and Your strength. We begin to take our eyes off You and we look at the work You have called us to. We begin to take our eyes off You and begin to look at ourselves. That is all the plan of the devil for as soon as we focus on the work and ourselves, we are no longer looking squarely at You. As a result we soon lose our vision and our hope and our source of strength, for we are no longer abiding in You as we ought. You alone are our strength. We, Your people, are the branches. Lord Jesus Christ, You are the Vine. All we have comes from You, O Lord and Giver of Life. Apart from You we can do nothing. We can never expect to do You work apart from Your Holy Spirit's power, Your resurrection life at work in us, working in us to will and to do of Your good pleasure.

  Help us to keep our eyes fixed on You at all times, not on the work, not on ourselves, for in and of ourselves we are nothing. When we look at ourselves we will despair and lose hope.

  Help us to keep abiding in You at all times, for in and of ourselves we have neither life nor power. When we rely on ourselves we will despair and lose hope.

  Help us to keep our minds fixed on Your truth at all times, not on the lies of Satan, for He is a deceiver, a liar and the father of lies. When we listen to Satan's lies we will despair and lose hope.

  Help us to keep drawing on Your life, for Satan is a thief and a murderer, there is neither life nor hope nor health in him. When we entertain his ideas, we will despair and lose hope.

  You alone are mighty to save, to deliver, to equip and strengthen us.

  In and of ourselves we have neither strength nor power.

  You have promised You would never leave us or forsake us. You sent Your Spirit to bring us life when we were dead, and You have promised Your Holy Spirit would abide with us forever to sustain that life in us. We have the power of Jesus Christ, the one who conquered the grave, at work in us; Your incorruptible seed has come to birth us into Your family and to keep us. And we have the Lord Jesus Christ our great high priest interceding for us at the right hand of majesty in heaven.

  When we hear the taunts from the enemy, instead of despairing in our weakness and poverty and inability, let us look to Your strength, riches and ability, Almighty God.

  When we hear the taunts of the enemy, let us proclaim boldly and without reservation what You exhorted the Church at Laodicea to do (based on Rev. 3 ~ paraphrased/expanded):

  Lord God, we are Your people. Apart from You, we proclaim with certainty that we are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. You have told us to come to You to buy from You gold refined by fire, so that we may be rich, and white garments so that we might clothe ourselves and the shame of our nakedness might not be seen, and salve to anoint our eyes, so that we may see. So we come to You for these things. We came empty-handed for our salvation and we continue to come to You empty-handed and come only through the blood of the Lamb. You alone are all we need. Who have we in heaven but You? Your are our portion. Our great reward. Our shield. Our high tower. Our rock. Our strength.

  Lord God, our sufficiency is in You alone. We are not sufficient for these things. We are not sufficient to build anything. Who are we? We are living stones You have brought to life and placed in Your Body. You are the Builder. You are the Head of the Church. You are the source of our life. We have neither life nor power in ourselves. We are not worthy nor sufficient nor able to stand in Your majestic Presence, much less worthy or sufficient to be engaged in the work of Your Kingdom. Yet You have made us worthy, sufficient and able to stand in Your Presence without fear of judgment for the blood of Jesus Christ has covered all our sin and You have credited His righteousness to us by faith. And not only that but then You have made us worthy, sufficient and able to stand against the wiles of the devil in Your work of building Your Church, Your Kingdom as we put on Your whole armor as we rest in Your yoke as we draw upon Your Holy Spirit's strength moment by moment. We are Your willing and humble servants by Your power at work in us, by Your love constraining us to live to You. We have neither desire nor ability to walk in the works You have ordained for us apart from Your Holy Spirit.

  Keep us abiding in You. May we never think we are sufficient, but wholly lean on Jesus' name not only for our justification, but also for our sanctification and for our calling to walk in the works You have ordained for us and our final glorification. May we realize we only stand through Your power. Let us never think we stand in our own strength, lest we fall. Let us never go to any other source but Your Living Water. You alone are the Bread of Life. Let us feed on You and drink in of You to sustain us. You have promised to provide for all our needs. May we not seek help from any other but You alone. You are our life, our breath.

  As we remember Your mighty all-sufficient power given to us through the cross of Jesus Christ, we will respond to the taunts of the enemy with bold proclamations of Your sufficiency and strength and grace:

  What are these feeble Jews doing?

  We are weak, we are feeble, but You are strong! Oh, yes, we admit we are feeble, but You, O Lord, are our strong. But no, not only strong but You are our strength. We have no strength apart from the strength You provide us by Your indwelling Holy Spirit. Our weakness is the opportunity for Your grace and light to shine through us so You might be glorified in our earthen, cracked and feeble vessels.
  
  Will they restore it for themselves? (will they fortify themselves? (KJV))
  
  No, we will not restore it ourselves. We can do nothing at all apart from You, O Lord. We were unable to restore ourselves. And we are unable to restore ourselves must lest restore anything or anyone else! You alone, O Lord, will work in us so we might restore Your Church. Without You we can do nothing. We have no strength, no fortification apart from You, Almighty God.
  
  Will they sacrifice?

  We have no sacrifice to bring, except the all-sufficient sacrifice of Jesus Christ. We bow to You and You alone. No other sacrifice is needed. We stand in His righteousness alone. Because of Your mercies to us in Jesus Christ, however, we bring ourselves to You to do with us as You will. Our lives are not our own. We present ourselves as living sacrifices to do whatever work You call us to do for Your Kingdom and for Your glory. This is not a sacrifice but a joy and a delight to be able to bring ourselves to Your service, O Lord. Continue to work in us to will and to do of Your good pleasure.
  
  Will they finish up in a day?

  We do not know how long we will need to work but as Your power and grace work in us, we trust You will finish the work You have begun in and through us. By faith and patience we will inherit the promises. Let us labor hard, yet not us, but Your grace and Your Spirit who dwells in us. May we not grow weary in well doing. May we continue to plant ourselves in You and in Your Word, to study to show ourselves approved. May we put off the sin that easily besets us and run the race with perseverance and fix our eyes on Jesus. May we run to attain the prize of the high calling in Jesus Christ and lay hold to lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has laid hold of us. May we press on to know You and count all things loss for the all-surpassing value of knowing Jesus Christ. May we strive for the imperishable crown and discipline ourselves so we might not be disqualified. Strengthen our hands and our hearts and our minds, O God, for the work to which You have appointed us.
  
  Will they revive the stones out of the heaps of rubbish, and burned ones at that?

  No! Amen. We fully confess we have no power to revive anything. We have power only as Your Holy Spirit breathes into us and dwells in us. We will work to revive but only as You work in us. Lord Christ, we know it is Your good pleasure that the stones in Your Church as revived once again. We see the heaps, we see the burned stones. We grieve along with You, O Lord. We are living stones only by Your life come to indwell us, but too often we confess we have fallen into states of deadness and lethargy. You are the source of our life. You quickened and revived our dead and dry souls, and we are trusting You will revive us again for Your glory. Your Church needs reviving. We lie in ruins. We are a reproach and shame to Your blessed and holy Name, much like Jerusalem was after the exile. We are trusting that You who created the world out of nothing will revive the dry bones in Your Church once again. Work in us as You will to be Your instruments of that work of revival in Your Church.

  Our Father, we pray with one mind and one heart that the plans of Your enemies would be turned back. We ask this humbly and only because we see Your Name disgraced and reproached. Yet we know in Your mysterious and inscrutable ways, You are sovereign over Satan, You are sovereign over all Your enemies and are using them to Your glory. We confess we do not understand this. You allow the tares to grow up with the wheat. You allow false teachers to prosper. But we do know that as we Your people, as Your holy bride is attacked, You are attacked. And we grieve when Your Name is blasphemed and despised. We pray You might help us to face Your enemies and answer them with truth from Your Word through Your Holy Spirit. Grant us wisdom and words in dealing with Your enemies. Open our mouths, give Your words, and then shut our mouths as You will. Strengthen us so we might stand strong against all the enemy's attacks.

  We also pray Your kindness would bring even Your enemies, the opponents of Jesus Christ and His Gospel of grace through faith, to repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. We humbly confess that we were once Your enemies and Your kindness drew us to repentance. Our minds were enmity against You. We were not worthy and You made us worthy. You loved us first. We were blind but now we see. We were not a people but now we are Your people. We once knew no mercy but now we have know Your mercy through the cross. Help us to love our enemies as You loved us, and to pray for those who persecute us. We pray Your Holy Spirit might work in Your enemies, open their eyes, soften their hearts. May we continue to witness to all peoples of Your amazing and abounding sovereign grace available through the cross of Jesus Christ to all who believe. May Your irresistible grace bring many to faith in Jesus Christ, so they might receive Your manifold mercies and great grace in abundance as we have. We intercede for them today, O Lord God. As many as You have called to eternal life, draw now, O Lord, Great Shepherd of the sheep, and increase Your Kingdom, so we might rejoice with the angels in heaven and You. Amen.

  Please add your prayers as God's Holy Spirit leads you...

  • 12:12 PM
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