DCLM Daily Manna 2025: DCLM Daily Manna 19 November 2025: Weak But Strong
Text: Nehemiah 4:21–23 (KJV)
21 So we laboured in the work: and half of them held the spears from the rising of the morning till the stars appeared.
22 Likewise at the same time said I unto the people, Let every one with his servant lodge within Jerusalem, that in the night they may be a guard to us, and labour on the day.
23 So neither I, nor my brethren, nor my servants, nor the men of the guard which followed me, none of us put off our clothes, saving that every one put them off for washing.
KEY VERSE: Nehemiah 4:21
“So we laboured in the work: and half of them held the spears from the rising of the morning till the stars appeared.”
A little fellow once applied for a job as a woodsman in the northern United States. The boss looked at his small frame and concluded he was too weak for the task, but the young man insisted, “I can do it.”
The boss handed him an axe and asked him to cut down a sapling—he did it effortlessly. Then he directed him to a giant redwood tree. To the boss’ astonishment, the small man went chop, chop, chop, and the huge tree fell.
Amazed, the boss asked where he learned to chop wood like that. The little man answered, “In the Sahara Forest.”
The boss exclaimed, “Don’t you mean the Sahara Desert?”
The man replied, “Well… that’s what they call it now.”
This humorous story highlights a powerful truth: people may look weak, but strength often lies hidden.
As Nehemiah and his team rebuilt Jerusalem’s broken walls, their enemies mocked them:
“What do these feeble Jews think they are doing?” (Nehemiah 4:2–3).
When ridicule failed, Sanballat and his allies planned a physical attack. Nehemiah immediately reorganised the workers—half continued building while the other half stood guard with spears.
Those who worked kept their weapons close, and all remained vigilant. They barely removed their clothes except to wash, staying constantly prepared until the wall was completed.
Today, the church faces similar ridicule. Believers may appear weak, insignificant, or unimportant compared to the world’s power and prestige. But God does not measure strength the way humans do. He values:
A surrendered heart
Faithfulness
Courage
Dependence on Him
God delights in using the seemingly weak to shame the strong, and the foolish to confound the wise.
So, when the world underestimates you, don’t be discouraged. With God on your side, you are stronger than you appear. Those who trust in Him often accomplish what others believe is impossible.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
We do not trust in ourselves but in God only.
THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Daily Manna 19 November 2025
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