‘“Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace.  The wall of  Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire.”.
When I heard these things, I sat down and wept.’
Nehemiah 1:3-4

The Church today has a lot in common with Jerusalem back in the days of Nehemiah.  It too has transitioned from a time of great glory and anointing from God to a time of exile, being attacked by an enemy with ruthless intent, and unable or unwilling to defend itself.  As the battle has raged, so many have been taken captive, so many homes have been broken, and so many more have just lost heart, unsure where to go now.  As a result, the walls of our great faith, the very essence or our faith, have been battered, bombarded, and left in disrepair, so much so that the very thought of rebuilding seems almost unthinkable.

But this is where Nehemiah decides to step up to the plate. You’ve got to love Nehemiah.  As cupbearer to the king, he had a pretty cush life, living in the castle, away from the chaos, it would be easy for him to read this as someone else’s problem. Yet Nehemiah is broken, for his love is for his people, the people of God.  He repents, both for his sin and that of his people, and then he goes before the king and shares his pain, his heartache.

I love how the king replies, “What is it that you want?”  (Neh 2:4).  What an incredible invitation: the then known leader of the world offers Nehemiah his resources.  The writer of Hebrews tells us that we have the same freedom with our King, ‘Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.’ (Hebrews 4:14).  Jesus, our King, is asking us, ‘What is it that you want?’ and in doing so is offering us His recourses:  tools and materials to rebuild, protection for our journey, and His blessings on our efforts. And suddenly, rebuilding doesn’t seem so unthinkable. 

There is still much more ahead in Nehemiah’s journey, as there is in ours.  Work is still to be done, opposition is still to be met, and surely disappointment and frustration will continue to loom heavy, but the walls can be rebuilt, faith can be restored.  The question for us right now is whether we will take courage and leave the comfort of the castle to embark on this great adventure.

To the King,

David