Nehemiah 2:13 (NIV)
13 By night I went out through the Valley Gate toward
the Jackal Well and the Dung Gate, examining the walls of
Jerusalem, which had been broken down, and its gates, which had been destroyed
by fire.
Nehemiah inspected the walls and discovered that the gates
had been burned down (2:17). He encouraged the Jews to rebuild the walls so
that they would no longer be in disgrace and reminded the people that the
gracious hand of the Lord was on them to help them accomplish the task. Grace
is a state of unmerited favor, and disgrace is loss of grace. Nehemiah said
that the burned down gates caused disgrace, and it was the grace of God that
enabled them to rebuild the gates. The Lord offers us grace as He builds back
the broken-down gates of our lives. Gates represent an opening, a place of
entry in our spiritual lives, where the enemy seeks to come into our lives to
wreak havoc or destruction. He goes after the vulnerable places – places of
hurt, disappointment, bitterness, and discouragement. The easiest entry point
or gateway is through our thought life. If the enemy can enter our thought
life, he then has access to our lives. Agreement with God’s Word rebuilds the
gate and closes it to the harmful effects of the world, the flesh and the
devil. Jesus refers to Himself as the gate. (John 10:7) He is the gate through
which we enter as believers, and His Word guards the gates of our lives.
Are there broken-down gates in your life? Does the enemy
have access to any part of your life? Claim the promises of God, and He will
rebuild every broken-down gate of your life.
Thought for Today:
Can I recognize the point of entry for negativity?
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