The People Worked With All Their Heart

When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became angry and was greatly incensed. He ridiculed the Jews, and in the presence of his associates and the army of Samaria, he said, “What are those feeble Jews doing? Will they restore their wall? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they finish in a day? Can they bring the stones back to life from those heaps of rubble—burned as they are?”

Tobiah the Ammonite, who was at his side, said, “What they are building—even a fox climbing up on it would break down their wall of stones!”

Hear us, our God, for we are despised. Turn their insults back on their own heads. Give them over as plunder in a land of captivity. Do not cover up their guilt or blot out their sins from your sight, for they have thrown insults in the face of the builders.

So we rebuilt the wall till all of it reached half its height, for the people worked with all their heart.

Nehemiah 4:1-6

The negative feedback we receive can be discouraging and sometimes tempts us to give up.

Nehemiah had critics too as he led a team to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem. He was mocked: “Even a fox climbing up on it would break down (your) wall of stones.” Instead of feeling dejected or trying to refute the comments, he turned to God for help. Instead of responding directly, he asked God to hear the way His people were being treated and to defend them.

We can learn from Nehemiah not to be distracted by criticism of our work. When we are criticized or mocked, instead of responding to our critics out of hurt or anger, we can prayerfully ask God to defend us from discouragement so we can continue with a whole heart.

God is our best defense against criticism.

Our Daily Bread – June 14, 2018