Today's passage is Nehemiah 6:15-7:4.
The wall is completed in 52 days and the enemies lose their confidence because of it. There was an ongoing correspondence between Tobiah and the nobles of Judah because he was son-in-law to Shecaniah.
When the doors of the gates were put in place, Nehemiah put his brother in charge and Hananiah as military commander. Gatekeepers and guards were appointed and a schedule made.
I failed to guard the gates of my mouth yesterday and made myself a poor example.
My daughter and I found a big hole someone had dug at the beach.
It was so deep that when you jumped in you couldn't see out.
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When we were sitting in it a couple of guys walking along the beach stopped and looked in. They laughed admiringly at the big hole and asked us if we'd dug it.
I said Yes. My daughter looked at me in surprise. I said Yes as a joke.
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I lied because I didn't guard the gate of my mouth.
I showed my daughter a lack of honesty and integrity.
I should have immediately apologized to my daughter but I didn't.
But I knew I needed to.
The other moment when I didn't guard my mouth yesterday was in a conversation with my daughter's mother.
I told her how distressed I was that my son had turned his back on God and worshipped New Age spirits.
She said it was still a spirituality.
Because she doesn't believe in God, though technically a Jew, I didn't think there was any point in getting into an argument about God.
But I needed to be more clear about the difference between the revealed God of the Bible and the fog of spirits stealing my son's salvation.
My application after prayer and reflection was to write two letters of confession and apology this morning before I left for my flight.
I told my daughter that I'd given her a bad example when I lied and asked her forgiveness. I said she should always tell the truth because then God would help her.
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To her mother I said I had failed to be clear about the danger to my baptized son because he'd turned his back on God. I had failed to stand up for God.
I pray for a mind and spirit of repentance as I go to Canada and my family today.
