DCLM Daily Manna 2025: DCLM Daily Manna 23 January 2025: The Recipe For Success
Text: Nehemiah 2:12-20 (KJV)
12 And I arose in the night, I and some few men with me; neither told I any man what my God had put in my heart to do at Jerusalem: neither was there any beast with me, save the beast that I rode upon.
13 And I went out by night by the gate of the valley, even before the dragon well*, and to the dung port, and viewed the walls of Jerusalem, which were broken down, and the gates thereof were consumed with fire.
14 Then I went on to the gate of the fountain, and to the king’s pool: but there was no place for the beast that was under me to pass.
15 Then went I up in the night by the brook, and viewed the wall, and turned back, and entered by the gate of the valley, and so returned.
16 And the rulers knew not whither I went, or what I did; neither had I as yet told it to the Jews, nor to the priests, nor to the nobles, nor to the rulers, nor to the rest that did the work.
17 Then said I unto them, Ye see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lieth waste, and the gates thereof are burned with fire: come, and let us build up the wall of Jerusalem, that we be no more a reproach.
18 Then I told them of the hand of my God which was good upon me; as also the king’s words that he had spoken unto me. And they said, Let us rise up and build. So they strengthened their hands for this good work.
19 But when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian, heard it, they laughed us to scorn, and despised us, and said, What is this thing that ye do? will ye rebel against the king?
20 Then answered* I them, and said unto them, The God of heaven, he will prosper us; therefore we his servants will arise and build: but ye have no portion, nor right, nor memorial, in Jerusalem.
KEY VERSE: Nehemiah 2:20
“Then answered I them, and said unto them, The God of heaven, he will prosper us; therefore we his servants will arise and build: but ye have no portion, nor right, nor memorial, in Jerusalem.”
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill, two-time Prime Minister of the United Kingdom had this to say about tenacity: “The nose of the bulldog is slanted backward so he can continue to breathe without letting go.” This posture applies to Nehemiah whose commitment reminds us that in the race of life, momentum does not necessarily favour the majority. For a time, Nehemiah was a one-man squad facing up to a formidable army of determined detractors. However, he made up for what he lacked in numbers with hard work, focus, faith, planning, self-sacrifice, and an unshakeable confidence in God. He won the victory.
Nehemiah’s story is a salute to diligence. He was, clearly, not a believer in waiting till the ship comes sailing in; instead, he would swim out to meet it. He surveyed his challenges in the serenity and solitude of the night. Next, he mapped out a plan of action. Finally, Nehemiah rallied his beleaguered compatriots into massive action against the headwinds of the bitter opposition and the enemies’ withering mental and psychological attack.
When called up to tackle a seemingly daunting task, many buckle at the knees and fold up, but not Nehemiah. By the sheer force of his determination and clear-eyed leadership, he succeeded in rallying his countrymen to the restoration of Jerusalem after an extended period of desolation. The actual measurement of success is not merely in the achievement but in how many obstacles have been surmounted along the path.
You must not surrender your destiny into the hands of naysayers. They may come in different shades and colours, but no matter what, God must have the final say in your life. If you work hard and pray hard, failure will make you a hard nut to crack.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
Faith and focus are escape routes from failure.
THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Exodus 23-25
Daily Manna 23 January 2025
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