Nehemiah - Renewal from Rubble

Read Nehemiah 4-5
 
Nehemiah 4:1-4 When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became angry and was greatly incensed. He ridiculed the Jews, 2 and in the presence of his associates and the army of Samaria, he said, “What are those feeble Jews doing? Will they restore their wall? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they finish in a day? Can they bring the stones back to life from those heaps of rubble – burned as they are? 3 Tobiah the Ammonite, who was at his side, said, “What they are building – if even a fox climbed up on it, he would break down their wall of stones!”
 
THE nations around Judah and Israel benefited from a ruined, defeated Jerusalem. God’s glory – his power and his rule –  had departed. A strong country was gone. A beautiful city lay in ruins. The LORD’s people were weak and powerless. Surely they would never rise again.
    But wait. What’s that sound in the distance? It is the sound of men and women working to move dirt and rubble. “Did you see that? The walls are going up? What’s happening?”    Judah’s enemies – God’s and Nehemiah’s enemies – ridiculed the rebuilding. Surely those weak Jews’ work would be weak, too. But they forgot one thing. Judah’s God was guiding them. Judah’s God was empowering them to build. Judah’s God was protecting them. Judah’s God had given them a vision, leaders and will to rebuild. God’s favor was once again upon his people.
    It is possible in their heart Sanballat and Tobiah and the others knew there would be no stopping Nehemiah and his people. Nehemiah was truly God’s man, a good shepherd to justly lead. He stayed true to God, trusting him and guiding his people as God guided him. God’s enemies would receive judgment. God’s people would receive reward.
    Is your life in disarray? Are you seeing only a pile of rubble around you? Then believe that you, too, can trust God to lead you to rebuilding your life in him. He has written his blueprint. He has given you the tools. Read the plans. Use the tools. Be strong and patient in the rebuilding. Stand firm against those who will doubt and attempt to stop you. There will be many such people. There is much more of God.
 
Pause and Consider: that God is so much, much more than any rubble.