People must have wondered why Nehemiah had come to Jerusalem. To be honest, Nehemiah didn't tell them right away, but approached the issue of his arrival very carefully. The Jews, priests, nobles, and officers were among those who would be doing the work of repairing the walls. What if they said "no"? What if they refused to participate? After three days, Nehemiah secretly went out at night and surveyed the damaged walls for himself. When he addressed the people, it would be with a first-hand knowledge of the work that would be required. When Nehemiah finally spoke to the leaders, he did so by appealing to their identity as God's people. It was not right for God's people to be living in such disgrace. For the glory of God, they needed to take action and rebuild the city. His testimony of God's gracious hand encouraged their hearts and they agreed to start rebuilding.

The good work of God's people never goes unopposed by the enemy and the rebuilding of the walls in Jerusalem was no exception. The response from Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem was almost immediate. They mocked and ridiculed the Jews and even made a false accusation about them rebelling against the king. However, their tormenting could not shake Nehemiah's faith. The God of heaven would indeed grant success to his people!


Application: Father, help us to see how you are working.
One Word: Commit yourself to doing God's will