17 Then I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace.” 18 I also told them about the gracious hand of my God on me and what the king had said to me.
They replied, “Let us start rebuilding.” So they began this good work. (Nehemiah 2:17,18)
Thoughts: Nehemiah said, "the trouble WE are in." Nehemiah could have easily stayed in the palace of the richest and mightiest king of his time, but his faith and his love for his people would not let him. Nehemiah did not want to be in disgrace, and did not want his people to be in disgrace. He associated himself with those who needed to do the work- getting on their level.
When the people came back from exile some years before they started building the Temple but then stopped and only proceeded when encouraged strongly by Haggai and Zechariah. But they never really spent a great effort to build the wall. They apparently had become happy with the status quo and comfortable in their ruins.
Nehemiah inspired them urging them to build to escape their disgrace to which they had become numb. He also told them about how God was with them in this project, already working and opening the doors, by opening the heart of the king to provide timber for the gates. The pump was primed and the people began to respond. Sometimes the church needs impetus to move forward off the plateau.
The people agreed to begin to build, and then they took the first steps of building. It would be finished in record time despite opposition. When we associate with people, encourage, and inspire them with what God is doing, the great work begins. The longest journey begins with the first step.
Prayer: Lord, help me to see what needs to be done, and encourage and inspire me by putting others in my life to get me going. Help your church to begin to bear fruit for you again.
(Ruins of Temple wall in Jerusalem today)
When the people came back from exile some years before they started building the Temple but then stopped and only proceeded when encouraged strongly by Haggai and Zechariah. But they never really spent a great effort to build the wall. They apparently had become happy with the status quo and comfortable in their ruins.
Nehemiah inspired them urging them to build to escape their disgrace to which they had become numb. He also told them about how God was with them in this project, already working and opening the doors, by opening the heart of the king to provide timber for the gates. The pump was primed and the people began to respond. Sometimes the church needs impetus to move forward off the plateau.
The people agreed to begin to build, and then they took the first steps of building. It would be finished in record time despite opposition. When we associate with people, encourage, and inspire them with what God is doing, the great work begins. The longest journey begins with the first step.
Prayer: Lord, help me to see what needs to be done, and encourage and inspire me by putting others in my life to get me going. Help your church to begin to bear fruit for you again.
(Ruins of Temple wall in Jerusalem today)
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