DCLM Daily Manna 2024: DCLM Daily Manna 23 September 2024: Don’t Be Sidetracked!
Text: Nehemiah 6:1-4 (KJV)
1 Now it came to pass, when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and Geshem the Arabian, and the rest of our enemies, heard that I had builded the wall, and that there was no breach left therein; (though at that time I had not set up the doors upon the gates;)
2 That Sanballat and Geshem sent unto me, saying, Come, let us meet together in some one of the villages in the plain of Ono. But they thought to do me mischief.
3 And I sent messengers unto them, saying, I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you?
4 Yet they sent unto me four times after this sort; and I answered them after the same manner.
KEY VERSE: Nehemiah 6:2
“That Sanballat and Geshem sent unto me, saying, Come, let us meet together in some one of the villages in the plain of Ono. But they thought to do me mischief.”
The diversionary tactic is a manipulative strategy often employed to shift people’s focus and frustrate their aspiration. It is usually intended to draw people’s attention away from something that you do not want them to think about or deal with. Sometimes, national governments adopt this tactic to sway citizens’ attention from an issue being clamoured for, to either gain time to address the issue, or prolong it until the people forget it completely.
Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem tried to use this tactic to get Nehemiah to stop the work of rebuilding the walls around Jerusalem. They were not pleased that a protective wall was being built around the once devastated city. They also detested being excluded from the noble task, especially as all their attempts to stop the work had failed. They tried to shift his attention to less important issues. But he consistently declined their invitations. Seeing that Nehemiah would not budge, they decided to level charges against him, intended to halt the reconstruction work.
Devil and his agents still adopt this strategy today to distract believers. As the church determines to build the protective walls of the gospel around the lives of people and nations, the devil will rise in opposition to it. Sometimes, he brings up issues that do not have spiritual relevance and eternal importance. Sadly, many Christians and assemblies have fallen into this trap of the devil. This failure explains why Christianity is spreading slowly.
Believers must recognise the tactics of the devil and resist them. We must stay true to the one task Christ has given to us. Anything that will prevent us from fulfilling that mandate must be resisted. If we allow ourselves to be sidetracked, we cannot accomplish anything meaningful for the Lord.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
The believer that accomplishes much focuses only on the Lord.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Hebrews 1-4
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Daily Manna 23 September 2024
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