“So we rebuilt the wall till all of it reached half its height, for the people worked with all their heart.”
Nehemiah 4:6
The walls around Jerusalem had been destroyed when Nebuchadnezzar and the army of Babylon invaded. The Israelites had been prisoners for 70 years, and now they were free. But as he saw the city in ruins and its gates burned with fire, Nehemiah wept, mourned, fasted, and prayed.
King Artaxerxes—for whom Nehemiah had been the cupbearer—inquired about his sadness.
So he told of his anguish over the devastated city and shared his vision to rebuild the wall. The king granted permission, and the monumental project began. In the King James Version we read that the people built the wall, for they “had a mind to work.”
What have you set your mind to? What is it that you put all your heart into? Whatever it is you’re working hard at in our increasingly corrupt world, know that the Lord is always at work rebuilding you. When anger and resentment are directed to you because of your faith, the God who keeps his covenant of love surrounds you. Even when the wall was not built around Jerusalem, the Lord’s love and protection were there.
King Artaxerxes—for whom Nehemiah had been the cupbearer—inquired about his sadness.
So he told of his anguish over the devastated city and shared his vision to rebuild the wall. The king granted permission, and the monumental project began. In the King James Version we read that the people built the wall, for they “had a mind to work.”
What have you set your mind to? What is it that you put all your heart into? Whatever it is you’re working hard at in our increasingly corrupt world, know that the Lord is always at work rebuilding you. When anger and resentment are directed to you because of your faith, the God who keeps his covenant of love surrounds you. Even when the wall was not built around Jerusalem, the Lord’s love and protection were there.
Scripture Focus
Nehemiah 4
Insight
“As the mountains surround Jerusalem, So the LORD surrounds His people both now and forevermore.” (Psalm 125:2)
Bible In A Year
- 2 Samuel 3-4
- Psalm 137
- Ephesians 5-6
