Until the Sun is Hot
Words of Faith 7-13-26
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2026
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL
www.faithfellowshipweb.com
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Nehemiah 7
[3] I said to them, "The gates of Jerusalem are not to be opened until the sun is hot. While the gatekeepers are still on duty, have them shut the doors and bar them..."

Cities in the ancient world were centers for commerce and trade. But as soon as the sun went down, the city was closed tight. If you missed the closing of the gate, you were out of luck. The gatekeeper could not risk opening the gate and allowing an attack. Normally, the gates to the city would be opened at dawn, and business would begin. But Nehemiah took a practical precaution: keeping the gates of the city closed until the “sun is hot”. Nehemiah wanted to ensure there would be no vulnerability to a surprise attack while the city was still waking up.

I wonder if we might not do well to take the same advice. Often, we rush into a busy day far too early, before we have really spent time in the security of God's dwelling. The early morning is a precious time. Whether it is wake-up time or focused time, the early morning is generally quiet and can be used well to set the tone for our day. It is tempting to use that time to get an early start on business, diving into emails or rushing to an early breakfast meeting. But doing so may create an unknown vulnerability.

Throwing open the gates of the day too early or too quickly can steal the time we need most to listen to God, speak blessings upon family, and savor God's Word. Jesus made a habit of rising early in the morning, while it was still dark, leaving where he was staying and going to a solitary place to pray (Mark 1:35).

The Psalmist expresses it so well. “In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before youand wait in expectation” (5:3). “But I cry to you for help, O LORD; in the morning my prayer comes before you” (88:13). “I rise before dawn and cry for help; I have put my hope in your word” (119:147).

Take some time to start your day. Don’t rush ahead into business. Wait a while in the presence of the Lord. Don't answer the phone if it rings early. Don't let anything invade that first appointment with God. Do you need to reset the opening time for your city gates?

Lord, draw me near to You. In the cool of the morning may I rejoice in You. Seal the gates of my heart from anything but You until the day is warm. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2025
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)
2820 Business Center Blvd.
Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2025 Jeffrey D. Hoy.