At the Corner of Critical St. and Ridicule Rd.

I don't mean to keep bringing this "Whispers of Hope"/Beth Moore thing up, but I am continually amazed at how the scripture I am reading a particular day speaks to a current situation I am facing. I know this is how God works, and it gets me so spiritually charged. Today, I was reading in a book of the Bible I rarely get in to...Nehemiah. It's unfortunate that some of the lesser known books don't get much "face time" (i.e. Joel, Hosea, Amos, 1st and 2nd Hesitations :) ).

I must share with you some of the things I learned today. I do this because I can just about bet (although "Lord, I wasn't born a gambling-man"...think Allman Bros.)that some of you may be battling with this very thing right now. And I KNOW the depth of the battle. I am excited about these freeing facts and I want you to be freed too:

Here is a sampling of Nehemiah 4:1-6. Keep in mind the whole "joy" of criticism as you read:

1 -2When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall he exploded in anger, vilifying the Jews. In the company of his Samaritan cronies and military he let loose: "What are these miserable Jews doing? Do they think they can get everything back to normal overnight? Make building stones out of make-believe?"

3 At his side, Tobiah the Ammonite jumped in and said, "That's right! What do they think they're building? Why, if a fox climbed that wall, it would fall to pieces under his weight."

4 -5 Nehemiah prayed, "Oh listen to us, dear God. We're so despised: Boomerang their ridicule on their heads; have their enemies cart them off as war trophies to a land of no return; don't forgive their iniquity, don't wipe away their sin—they've insulted the builders!"

6 We kept at it, repairing and rebuilding the wall. The whole wall was soon joined together and halfway to its intended height because the people had a heart for the work. **I took this from the Message because I sometimes "dig" the lingo.

If you are having trouble receiving criticism in your life or maybe you have a monumental task set before you, where you are receiving much negative feedback, consider this:

The Enemy will do virtually anything to steal our focus as we serve Christ.

In his attempts, the enemy often sends criticism, and he never lacks a willing vessel.

At the first sign of success in Nehemiah, the criticism came in the form of ridicule.
The enemy preyed on their hidden fears that the tasks might be too much for them.

If we successfully accomplish our God-given tasks, we must learn to deal with criticism.

Nehemiah didn't direct his statements to his critics. He shared his feelings with God. He poured out his heart until he felt better.

The enemy's attempt to steal our focus is actually an attempt to remove our heart from our God-given tasks. If we're focused on criticism and the subsequent feelings of bitterness and inferiority, our hearts will give up the task.

Is all criticism from Satan? No. How can we know whether a criticism is from the enemy? Satan is the father of lies. His criticism will be untrue. If the criticism fits, DON'T QUIT! Just readjust. You may be laying out the right bricks, but at the wrong angle.


Today, I asked God's forgiveness for the MANY things I have given up too soon, because I was criticized. Are you about to give up on something because of something that has been said or done? Check where the source of the criticism is coming from. You may be surprised in how often the enemy uses this war tactic in our lives. I know my eyes have been opened.....critically speaking.


**If you are looking for a prayer journal/devotional to challenge your walk with God, and to give you some spiritual "meat" to your mornings, I would highly recommend this book. I did this very same one about 8 years ago, and I am getting completely different "stuff" out of it this time. Don't you just love that about God?