Posts that reference the book of Nehemiah

We’re continuing to learn from Nehemiah about how to manage a new beginning. Remember, Nehemiah was called by God to oversee the rebuilding of the wall in Jerusalem. It was a daunting task, no doubt. Perhaps not unlike our own new beginnings. We saw how the seed was planted, and how important resolve to take on the task is. Today we’re going to see what Nehemiah did when facing opposition to this new beginning.

The enemies of the Jews interfered with the wall-building project from the beginning, from mocking insults and trying to undermine the project, to threatening anyone who worked on the wall, and escalating to the physical attacks on the people. The opposition was not going to let up. What could they do? In Nehemiah 4:14, we read, And I looked and arose and said to the nobles and to the officials and to the rest of the people, “Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes.”

1. Do not be afraid of them. Nehemiah is not instructing the people to ignore reality and needlessly endanger themselves when facing opposition. Their enemies had them outnumbered and had greater resources. But here’s the thing–Fear paralyzes us. We cannot, will not take necessary action if we are afraid. Nehemiah knew they could not allow fear to cause them to lock up and quit.

We are no different. Fear of failure. Fear of making someone mad. Fear of ridicule. Sometimes, even fear of success can keep us awake at night, consume our thoughts and sap our energy. If Nehemiah had stopped here, we would be rightly frustrated with him. Anybody can say “Don’t be afraid,” and walk away. Nehemiah tells us what to do instead.

2. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome. When we discussed having resolve, we saw that knowing God was in a thing made it a lot easier to commit to. Here, Nehemiah is reminding his people that the God they serve, the God who commissioned them to this task is great and He is awesome. That had not changed. God never promised the project would go forward without any bumps, but the difficulties were an opportunity to depend on God, to let Him work.

If we lose sight of the fact that God is with us, we too, will give up. If we forget who God is, we will tend to see things in human terms only. God knew the opposition would come when He called us. He isn’t surprised at all.

3. Fight. The fear and the pep talk must give way to action. Nehemiah reminds them that others depend on their action. The stakes are high but they are worth it!

When God gives us a new beginning to undertake, it is in line with His long-term kingdom-advancing plan. We cannot afford to be inactive or even hesitant. The stakes are eternal. Pour yourself into the work.

Nehemiah was confident he was following God even when he faced tremendous, exhausting opposition. But at the end of the day he could pray, “Remember me favorably, my God, for all that I have done for this people.” Nehemiah 5:19. It wasn’t a boast, but a humble request for God’s blessing on doing what God had given Him to do. May we be able to pray the same kind of prayer, knowing we have done what God gave us to do as best we could.

Nehemiah was called by God to oversee the rebuilding of the wall in Jerusalem. It was a daunting task, no doubt, but in Nehemiah’s example we see how to navigate our own new beginnings. Last time we saw how the seed was planted. In this post we’ll consider a key element in any new beginning: resolve.

In chapter 2, Nehemiah arrived in Jerusalem and inspected the wall under cover of darkness so as not to draw too much attention. Then he calls all the local leaders together and tells them of his ambitious plan to rebuild the wall.

Then I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in, how Jerusalem lies in ruins with its gates burned. Come, let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer suffer derision.” And I told them of the hand of my God that had been upon me for good, and also of the words that the king had spoken to me. And they said, “Let us rise up and build.” So they strengthened their hands for the good work. Nehemiah 2:17-18.

The leadership immediately responded with resolve and commitment to Nehemiah’s new beginning. Why? Because it sounded easy? Hardly. Because it needed to be done? If that was their motivation, it should have already been taken care of. Why did they jump on board? Three reasons stand out.

They understood there was a problem. Jerusalem was vulnerable to attack and would never recover and rebuild as long as its wall lay in ruins. They needed help. They needed something new. Whether it is in our personal lives or in the life of our church, we have to clearly identify the problems that keep us from growing, from moving in the direction God wants us to move.

They understood Nehemiah’s plan would solve the problem. Granted, this solution was pretty obvious. Sometimes in our situations we grab on to plans that may be great by themselves but don’t really solve the issues we need solved. For example, if I’m consistently late for work, buying a new car won’t solve that. Getting a new car is exciting. I may need a car, but it doesn’t address the problem. Things like going to bed earlier and setting my alarm earlier are more likely to help. When it comes to our churches, this can be the most difficult step. We can spend a great deal of time, energy and resources on plans that sound great but don’t actually accomplish anything long term. That’s why the third reason is the critical one.

They understood God was in it. Nehemiah said, “The hand of my God had been upon me for good.” The favor of the king was evidence of that. The fact that Nehemiah was there in the first place was evidence that God was doing something. It’s not recorded, but Nehemiah, no doubt, told them of his prayers and fasting, of his burden for them and for the city. When it was clear God was behind the plan to rebuild the wall, notice there weren’t any complaints or any negativity, just resolve backed by action. We should have that very same resolve when we know God is in our plans.

Next time, we’ll discover another key factor in a successful new beginning – courage.