Heart Attacks Today's Three-minute Bible Study Print, Study and Apply Title: Heart Attacks----------------------------------- Date: 12/6/2001 Keywords: "heart" "psychological" Welcome to eXXit, the web site designed to help you stand strong in the face of sexual temptation. Passage: Nehemiah 4:1-6* 1. Now it came about that when Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became furious and very angry and mocked the Jews. 2. And he spoke in the presence of his brothers and the wealthy men of Samaria and said, "What are these feeble Jews doing? Are they going to restore it for themselves? Can they offer sacrifices? Can they finish in a day? Can they revive the stones from the dusty rubble even the burned ones?" 3. Now Tobiah the Ammonite was near him and he said, "Even what they are building — if a fox should jump on it, he would break their stone wall down!" 4. "Hear, O our God, how we are despised! Return their reproach on their own heads and give them up for plunder in a land of captivity. 5. Do not forgive their iniquity and let not their sin be blotted out before Thee, for they have demoralized the builders. 6. So we built the wall and the whole wall was joined together to half its height, for the people had a mind to work. Questions 1. This passage describes the Jews of the 5th century B.C., rebuilding the walls around Jerusalem under the leadership of Nehemiah. What method of opposition did Sanballat and Tobiah use to hamper the work of God (verses 1-3)?   2. Was it (at least temporarily) successful?   3. How did Nehemiah counter that opposition (verses 4-6)?   Practical help Along with military assault, warfare has a psychological side. Enemies hurl ridicule and mockery and shame back and forth as tools to discourage and dishearten the opposing force. That is what Sanballat and Tobiah are doing in Nehemiah, chapter 4. Nehemiah’s prayer of verses 4-6 shows how he dealt with this heartless attack on the psyche of God’s people — he prayed! When God’s people in 2001 set out to attempt something for God, they may be opposed physically. More often, the assault comes to their spirit. Thoughts from the enemy (Satan) like, "You can’t do what you want to do for God!" or "You don’t have it in you to serve Him!" or "You’ll never cease from your habit of porn!" reverberate in the Christian’s mind. The best recourse when you are victimized by a "heart attack" from the enemy is to do what Nehemiah did. Pray! Stop and tell God how demoralized you feel in your fight against porn. His strength becomes available the minute you admit your weakness. eXXit homepage Index of three-minute studies Copyright 2001 by eXXit *"Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, © Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission."