Nehemiah 4:9 Nevertheless we made our prayer to our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them. But in our text we read of an unexpected difficulty pleaded by the men of Judah — a weary, trying, and depressing task, entailing much toil and little show of progress. So in the Christian's inner life; there lies in his way a heap of broken resolutions, of former good intentions never carried out; a ponderous mass of indolent excuses for doing nothing; a rubbish pile of petty procrastinations, promising that some day we will improve, but putting off that day from time to time! It does indeed need Divine help and aid to summon up energy and to commence, beginning at once, that arduous work of removing the rubbish and ruins and starting afresh. So, also, those who would do good to others, who would rebuild God's Zion and populate the kingdom of Christ with souls, must expect to find in their way a heavy and inert mass of ignorance, apathy, and opposition. We shall find at first disappointments and failures heaped up high in our path, but, like the faithful men of Jerusalem of old, let our answer be, "We will rise up and build," and the encouraging voice of the true Nehemiah, the real Restorer of the Heavenly Zion, will greet us with the promise, "The God of heaven will prosper" you! (W. Hardman, LL. D.) Parallel Verses KJV: Nevertheless we made our prayer unto our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them.WEB: But we made our prayer to our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them. |
    |