Nehemiah: Rebuilding the WallsSample

After a presumably difficult and exhausting journey of around 900 miles, Nehemiah arrived in Jerusalem. We don’t know exactly what Nehemiah did during his first three days in the city. Probably, he was resting after the long journey, but it seems likely, given what we know of him already, that he was once again spending time in prayer, bringing his plans and project before God, asking for continued favor before taking action.

After those three days, Nehemiah set out on a fact-finding mission, accompanied by just a few trusted friends. At this point, he had told almost no one about his plan to rebuild the wall, and in order to keep the secret, they went exploring quietly in the dead of night. Nehemiah took the time to find out for himself the reality of the situation, to examine the walls and gates, and see how much work needed to be done to rebuild. Although Nehemiah knew exactly why he was going to Jerusalem, he knew that it would not be wise to go too fast, to start the work without proper planning. Once he had thoroughly assessed the situation, he was ready to go to the people of Jerusalem, including the leaders, and make his suggestion that they start rebuilding the walls and the gates. Although he had only just arrived in Jerusalem, he identified himself with the people of the city as he talked of the ‘trouble we are in.’ He shared with them how God had brought him back to Jerusalem and given him favor with the King of Persia.

When we experience a call to ministry or mission, in our excitement and enthusiasm, we risk moving too fast. We need to follow the example of Nehemiah by being patient and taking time to pray and seek the Lord’s favor and direction, by being wise about who we share our plans with, and by carefully examining the situation and the needs to be addressed so that we can find the best way forward. When we are ready to take action, like Nehemiah, we can get local people involved, identify ourselves with them, and share the goodness and provision of God that we have experienced in our journey so far.