我們要繼續來思考詩人雖然對神的良善充滿疑惑，但卻沒有向人表現出來的這種行為。他小心考慮到自己的行動可能會對神的家帶來的影響。我們生活中所做的一切都有後果，因此有人這樣說：「每個結果都有原因，每個原因都產生結果。」

我們生命中的許多困難都是源於自己忘記了行動之後會有後果這個道理。撒旦經常誘騙我們認為自己是孤單無助的，令我們相信所做的和所說的對別人都不會起甚麼作用。撒旦十分擅長令我們完全專注牠放在我們面前的一切，導致我們因為專注而忘記其他一切，包括我們的行動可能帶來的結果。

詩人雖然感到困擾，但他對自己行動的後果詳加考慮。今天的經文讓我們看到尼希米也是如此謹慎。一個假「朋友」來告訴他說他不應該冒生命的危險，這毫無疑問是一個有相當吸引力的勸告，但尼希米考慮後果，然後決定留在原來的地方。如果他沒有這樣做，那麼以色列的歷史便要完全改寫了。所以請相信我，單單是這麼一個小心考慮後果的原則，就可以救我們脫離無盡的困難，只要我們接受它並持續的實踐。

We continue meditating on the fact that the psalmist, though filled with doubts about the goodness of God, nevertheless refrained from expressing those doubts to others. He carefully considered what effect his action might have on the family of God. Nothing that we do in life is without consequences. Someone has put it like this: "Every effect has a cause and every cause produces an effect."

Many of our difficulties in life arise from the fact that we forget the principle that consequences follow our actions. The devil often inveigles us into thinking that the situation we are in is an isolated event, and he gets us to believe that what we do, or are about to do or say, will have little or no effect upon others. He is exceedingly skilful at getting us to become preoccupied with the thing he puts before us. This one thing on which we focus then takes up our whole attention and we become oblivious of everything else, including the results that may follow our actions.

Troubled though the psalmist was, in his heart he considered the consequences of his actions. And this is what Nehemiah did in the passage before us today. A false "friend" came to him and told him that he should not risk his life. The proposition undoubtedly appealed to him, but Nehemiah considered the consequences and stayed where he was. If he hadn't, the whole course of Israel's history would have been changed. Believe me, this one principle alone - of carefully considering consequences - would be the means of saving us from endless difficulties if we were to take it and consistently apply it.