Daily devotional · September 8
Let Us Rise and Build
“Then I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in. Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned down. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, so that we will no longer be a disgrace.” I also told them about the gracious hand of my God upon me, and what the king had said to me. “Let us start rebuilding,” they replied, and they set their hands to this good work. But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab heard about this, they mocked us and ridiculed us, saying, “What is this you are doing? Are you rebelling against the king?” So I answered them and said, “The God of heaven is the One who will grant us success. We, His servants, will start rebuilding, but you have no portion, right, or claim in Jerusalem.””
Nehemiah arrives in Jerusalem to find the walls in ruins and the people ashamed. He does not begin with a speech about how bad things are. He tells them how God's hand has been good to him and invites them to rebuild together. Their answer in Nehemiah 2:18 is short and powerful: let us rise up and build. The wall was not repaired by one hero; chapter three shows families and neighbors each taking the section in front of their own house. That is a helpful picture for anything broken in our lives, a strained friendship, a neglected habit, a discouraged church. You do not have to fix the whole wall. You only need to start with the stones near your door. Today, choose one small repair and do it: an apology, a phone call, a tidy corner, a prayer you postponed. Then invite someone to build alongside you.
Also read
“I also told them about the gracious hand of my God upon me, and what the king had said to me. “Let us start rebuilding,” they replied, and they set their hands to this good work.”
Nehemiah 2:18
Prayer
God of restoration, show me the broken place near my door. Give me courage to begin and friends to build with.