By Michael C. Mack
1. In what way did you trust God and obey him even in an ordinarily anxiety-inducing situation over the last week?
2. When have you faced ridicule or even threats because of your faith? How did you respond?
Ask two people to read aloud Nehemiah 4:1-18 one after the other, preferably from different Bible versions. Then ask a third person to paraphrase the passage in two minutes or less.
3. What tactics did the Jews’ enemies use to try to stop the rebuilding of the wall?
4. How did Nehemiah and the people respond? What tactics did they use to keep building the wall?
- What part did prayer play in their response?
5. What do you learn about God from this passage?
- What do you learn about yourself?
6. Which do you think is more serious and damaging: threats from the outside or internal threats (see vv. 10, 12)? Why?
7. Look again at verses 9 and 14, paying attention to the word and. How is faith often a both-and rather than an either-or way of life (that is, we pray to God and work rather than doing only one or the other)?
8. Our greatest enemy is the one who “comes only to steal and kill and destroy” (John 10:10), that is, Satan. How can you apply what you are learning from Nehemiah to any spiritual warfare you are facing?
9. Based on our study and discussion, complete the sentence: “I will . . .”
10. Consider a difficult situation with which you are dealing right now. It may involve ridicule or persecution for your faith, a physical, emotional, or relational issue, or something else. How will you use Nehemiah’s “formula” this week and respond with prayer? With planning? With precautions? With perseverance?
For Next Week: Read and reflect on Nehemiah 5:1-19. You can also read next week’s supplemental texts as well as the Study and Application sections as part of your personal study.
Author: Christian Standard
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