Homilist Nehemiah 4:9 Nevertheless we made our prayer to our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them. I. THE DUTY OF PRAYER. 1. Prayer implies trust. 2. It implies acknowledged weakness. 3. It realises Divine power. Hence in the Christian life that man is only safe, prosperous, or happy who is constantly on his knees. II. ACTIVE VIGILANCE AND DUTY. God's help is not intended to favour indolence, but to encourage exertion. The husbandman knows that God gives the increase, and therefore ploughs and sows. A man may talk, says Jay, about casting his care upon God, and may sing "Jehovah-Jireh" with all his energy as long as he pleases, but if he is idle, dissolute, foolish, he only tempts God, not trusts Him, for if a man will not work neither shall he eat. We have to carry on a greater work than Nehemiah. An enemy is endeavouring to prevent us building our eternal habitations, to hinder our work of preparation for heaven. Let us give our mental, moral, intellectual ability to working out our own salvation, knowing that God worketh in us to will and to do. (Homilist.) Parallel Verses KJV: Nevertheless we made our prayer unto our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them.WEB: But we made our prayer to our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them. |
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