Nehemiah
It may not be the most popular or well-known book of the Bible, but my favorite book in the Old Testament is Nehemiah. I love the story because all you have to do is change a few names and places and you have a story very much like your own.
Nehemiah, exported to a land far away from his home in Jerusalem, worked as a cupbearer for the king in Susa. When he heard about the state of his homeland - that the walls had been destroyed and the people were in turmoil - he prayed, asking God to intervene. When the king noticed Nehemiah's unusually sad disposition and asked him what was bothering him, Nehemiah jumped at the opportunity to get permission from the king to return to Jerusalem on behalf of his people. Not only did the king let him go, but he also sent him with calvalry, army officers, and letters of approval.
And Nehemiah recognized that all this was evidence of "the gracious hand of God" upon him.
So he returned to Jerusalem, rallied the people, and started reconstruction of the walls...only to meet opposition again and again. He was mocked, ridiculed, and threatened to the point of having to build the wall with one hand while holding a sword in the other. Because "the gracious hand of God was upon him", he led the people to complete the wall. And that's not the end of the story (not even the best part in my opinion), but I will let you read the rest!
My friends and I have been studying Nehemiah over the past few weeks, unburying treasures of life applications. All of us, like Nehemiah, have walls in our lives that have crumbled. Maybe a relationship has broken down, a promise has fallen through, or an inner struggle has left you defeated and unprotected. Fires of trial and temptation leave us with ashes instead of fortress walls. We feel wrecked, ruined, vulnerable, weak, defenseless.
Like Nehemiah, we all have something that needs to be fixed. We all have something that needs to be rebuilt. And we face opposition after opposition.
And like Nehemiah, we have a glorious Father who is a professional at rebuilding what has been broken down and restoring what has been burned or lost. Like Nehemiah, we can proclaim with bold confidence: "The God of Heaven will give us success. We His servants will start rebuilding."
When opposition comes, we have a bounty of heavenly resources to keep us going. We made this list of oppositions that Nehemiah faced and the responses he gave from chapter 4.
We couldn't help but notice that the responses outnumbered the oppostions. In the same way, we always have more power behind us than against us when the Lord is on our side.
So this past Sunday night, we sat on the dorm room floor to lamp light once again to study Nehemiah's story. In a way, we are studying our own stories. We honestly opened up and shared with one another the "walls" in our lives that need rebuilding, and we prayed together over each person. Together, we are learning to rebuild what is broken in our lives by trusting God, praying faithfully, holding each other accountable, fighting, and working with all our hearts...just like Nehemiah and the people of Israel did.
So if you are looking for a good read, pick up the book of Nehemiah and find your place within it. Nehemiah's story is your story, too. And Nehemiah's God is your God as well. And remember that the "gracious hand of God" is upon you as you seek to rebuild.
Nehemiah, exported to a land far away from his home in Jerusalem, worked as a cupbearer for the king in Susa. When he heard about the state of his homeland - that the walls had been destroyed and the people were in turmoil - he prayed, asking God to intervene. When the king noticed Nehemiah's unusually sad disposition and asked him what was bothering him, Nehemiah jumped at the opportunity to get permission from the king to return to Jerusalem on behalf of his people. Not only did the king let him go, but he also sent him with calvalry, army officers, and letters of approval.
And Nehemiah recognized that all this was evidence of "the gracious hand of God" upon him.
So he returned to Jerusalem, rallied the people, and started reconstruction of the walls...only to meet opposition again and again. He was mocked, ridiculed, and threatened to the point of having to build the wall with one hand while holding a sword in the other. Because "the gracious hand of God was upon him", he led the people to complete the wall. And that's not the end of the story (not even the best part in my opinion), but I will let you read the rest!
My friends and I have been studying Nehemiah over the past few weeks, unburying treasures of life applications. All of us, like Nehemiah, have walls in our lives that have crumbled. Maybe a relationship has broken down, a promise has fallen through, or an inner struggle has left you defeated and unprotected. Fires of trial and temptation leave us with ashes instead of fortress walls. We feel wrecked, ruined, vulnerable, weak, defenseless.
Like Nehemiah, we all have something that needs to be fixed. We all have something that needs to be rebuilt. And we face opposition after opposition.
And like Nehemiah, we have a glorious Father who is a professional at rebuilding what has been broken down and restoring what has been burned or lost. Like Nehemiah, we can proclaim with bold confidence: "The God of Heaven will give us success. We His servants will start rebuilding."
When opposition comes, we have a bounty of heavenly resources to keep us going. We made this list of oppositions that Nehemiah faced and the responses he gave from chapter 4.
So this past Sunday night, we sat on the dorm room floor to lamp light once again to study Nehemiah's story. In a way, we are studying our own stories. We honestly opened up and shared with one another the "walls" in our lives that need rebuilding, and we prayed together over each person. Together, we are learning to rebuild what is broken in our lives by trusting God, praying faithfully, holding each other accountable, fighting, and working with all our hearts...just like Nehemiah and the people of Israel did.
So if you are looking for a good read, pick up the book of Nehemiah and find your place within it. Nehemiah's story is your story, too. And Nehemiah's God is your God as well. And remember that the "gracious hand of God" is upon you as you seek to rebuild.
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