This week the Bible Study covered Nehemiah 4. It isn’t uncommon for opposition to come against the work of God. And the opposition follows a familiar pattern. Some will try to twist the law to stop the work. When that fails, the next line of attack is through ridicule and mockery in order to discourage the workers so that they give up of their own accord. When that doesn’t stop the work either, threats and intimidation usually follow. Nehemiah 4 shows this pattern at work. Nehemiah was wise: he both prayed and prepared. The people of Judah sought Adonai for protection, but they also armed themselves and had a strategy in the event of attack. We would do well to see that it isn’t an either-or proposition. We need to seek God, AND we need to take necessary precautions.