Sometimes, we forget how clever our enemy is. Nehemiah is confronted with an enemy that is wily, seeking to lure him into a trap to discredit him, trying to convince him that the real effort is to save his life. Spoiler -- it's not. They want to lure him into disgrace.
I think of this as I see the news of another horrific school shooting... our enemy will deceive us and try to destroy us, any way possible. I don't know the facts, but the heartbreak is too familiar. Romans 8 tells us the Spirit comes to us and prays with sighs too deep for words, and sometimes, that's all I have. I'm tempted so often to give up hope, but I think the seeds of hope planted within are stronger than the seeds of despair the enemy keeps planting and watering. It's hard to pay attention to the hope, and it takes work to be vigilant and notice the despair, to pluck it up, find a community, and figure out how to nourish the hope -- May the Holy Spirit continue to bring us together so that we may all listen to the Spirit's prayers and let ourselves be tended to by our master gardener, who knows our every need and cares for us.
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