So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of Elul, in fifty-two days. When all our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and lost their self-confidence, because they realized that this work had been done with the help of our God. Nehemiah 6: 15, 16, NIV.
Holy God, we are so happy that we can count on You to help us fight our battles. As we study your Word today, please help us to understand how vital it is for us to give You the glory for every victory won. In the mighty name of Jesus we pray. Amen.
In spite of all the difficulties the prophet Nehemiah and the children of Israel faced in repairing the wall, the work “was completed on the twenty-fifth of Elul, in fifty-two days.” Record time, I would venture to say! Especially in view of all the opposition they had to face. There is so much that we can learn, as individual Christians, and as a community of faith, from this experience. If we are to live according to the following parable, “And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, ‘Occupy till I come’ ” (Luke 19: 13), then we need to learn how to remain focused
Some practical suggestions that we can put into practice in the twenty-first century, and to the end of time, are the following: “Take it to the Lord in prayer” (Nehemiah 1: 4; 2: 4: 4, 5, 9; 5: 19; 6: 9, 14; 9). As I see it, we can never have too much prayer. Some prayers may be deemed too long, but no amount of prayer can be considered too much. I believe we mistake the length of our prayers with the frequency of prayer. Some of us get carried away when we are in the presence of the Lord, and may “weary the saints.” But when the apostle Paul penned the words, “Pray without ceasing,” (some versions render it: “pray continually.”), he was actually thinking about the need of the Christian to always be in communication with the Lord. When the bills overwhelm you; when you are anxiously awaiting the results of a biopsy; when your marriage is holding on by one last thread; this is the admonition: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving,present your requests to God. And the peace of God which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4: 6, 7). From the very beginning, of the task, Nehemiah took all his fears and anxieties to God. And throughout the project, he never lost sight of the fact that, “prayer changes things!”
Recognize when it is time to speak and when it is time to remain silent (Nehemiah 2: 12, 16-18). We do not have to speak everything that we think. Some plans develop better in silence. When he arrived in Jerusalem, before sharing his plans, he first went and inspected the terrain; made his assessments, and then disclosed his findings and plans to the people. One thing leaders must be aware of is that attitudes are contagious. We transmit much more than we know! He had good news and bad news, so he shared the bad news first: “We are in trouble! The place is in ruins!” That was the Wake-Up Call. “Now the good news is, we can do this!” These were the Marching Orders! ” ‘ “Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace.” I also told them about the gracious hand of my God upon me and what the king had said to me” ‘ ” (17, 18a) . His optimism was contagious and had been transmitted to the people. Their response was unanimous: “They replied, ” ‘ “Let us start rebuilding.” So they began this good work” (18b).” ‘ ” The right timing is indispensable for success!
Give God the glory (6: 16)! “[T]hey realized that this work had been done with the help of our God.” It is so easy for human beings to take to themselves, the glory that belongs only to God. Nehemiah could have boasted of the part that he played in re-building the walls. It would not have been a lie, that he was instrumental in the success of the project. But good for Nehemiah, he could distinguish between the Source and the channel or medium, of success. He knew that all his wisdom came from God; and that all of his plans and methodology, would amount to nothing, had the Spirit of God not intervened. “Repairers of Broken Walls,” are wise in the wisdom of God. Nehemiah’s behavior has won him a place among them. May we learn from the wise!